King hoping to be Shergar Cup homecoming queen

Australia-based jockey returns to her native country for Ascot competition.

Jockey Rachel King is looking forward to reuniting with former boss Alan King when she captains the Rest of the World team during this year’s Shergar Cup at Ascot.

The rider was born in England and rode as an amateur for King and Clive Cox, for whom she was also racing secretary, before relocating to Australia to continue her career there.

That move proved an inspired one, as she was crowned Sydney champion apprentice for the 2016-17 season before beginning to collect Group-race wins the following year.

King has also enjoyed a temporary and successful spell in Japan, winning several valuable races when plying her trade in a different jurisdiction earlier this year.

Now she will return to her native country for the Shergar Cup, where she will head up the all-female Rest of the World team which includes Japan’s Nanako Fujita and South Africa’s Rachel Venniker.

The journey follows a trip to the racecourse in June for Royal Ascot, where King teamed up with John and Thady Gosden to ride 33-1 shot Strutting to finish second by only half a length in the Sandringham Stakes.

One of her rides is the Alan King-trained Insanity, who will contest the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge for familiar owners the McNeil family, who King rode for prior to settling in Australia.

“I’m really looking forward to Saturday, it’s not too long after my last visit and it’s great to be back again,” she said.

“It’s a meeting a lot of jockeys around the world know about and if they got an opportunity to ride in one of the teams, it’s something they’d be keen to do.

“I’ve got a ride for Alan King – my first proper job in racing was for Alan, so I’m very happy that I’m on one for him.

“I’ve not seen Alan for a number of years, so it’s great I’ve ended up being drawn on one of his runners. I think the McNeil family own the horse as well and I actually rode for them years ago, so it’s going to be special to ride for them again.”

Rachel King and Strutting (white cap, centre) went close to glory at Royal Ascot
Rachel King and Strutting (white cap, centre) went close to glory at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

In addition to her Royal Ascot placing this year, King has experience of the track from her amateur days when she used to work for Cox.

“I’ve ridden at Ascot a couple of times, I’ve definitely ridden in the Ladies Diamond Race. The last time I rode in that was for my old boss Clive Cox,” she said.

“I was racing secretary for Clive, I had a dual role there and it was quite handy because I could pick and choose which horses I wanted to enter in the ladies’ Flat amateur races – and I definitely did sneak a few in without him knowing!

“He was a huge supporter of my career and he’s a very good friend.”

King’s family are still based in England and will be turning out in force to support her as she aims to lead her team to victory at the weekend.

“I’m definitely a very competitive person and I’ll be searching for every advantage and a way to win on all of them,” she said.

“My mum and dad are coming and I think both my brothers are coming too, I think my dad has got a whole coach load of people coming actually!”

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