Australian racing presenter Lizzie Jelfs has taken out the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood overnight.
The annual charity race sees riders who are the leading women of business, sport, fashion, and media—none having race-riding experience—race on the prestigious Goodwood track to raise money for a chosen charity.
This year’s Magnolia Cup was supporting My Sisters’ House, a West Sussex women’s centre focused on welfare and wellbeing, reducing the risk of domestic abuse, and supporting recovery.
The win was the perfect ending for Jelfs, a former trackwork rider who had not been back in the saddle seriously for 10 years.
“I was out of the saddle for 10 years, and I knew what a big task it was to come back. It took a lot of fitness before I actually got on a racehorse about eight weeks ago. I jumped back on board, and I thought, well, why did I not do this sooner? I’ve been on a really big personal growth journey, and this really tops it all off.
“I’ve admired everything about the Magnolia Cup for such a long time. I love that it’s so women-focused and that it brings all these different personalities to racing.”
