Gemma Owen going for Goodwood gold

Gemma Owen will follow in the footsteps of her father Michael by taking on a charity race challenge in the Markel Magnolia Cup at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

Owen, a professional dressage rider and presenter, is the daughter of the former Liverpool and England striker Michael, a familiar figure in the racing industry as he owns the Manor House Stables from which Hugo Palmer trains.

Palmer and former rider Franny Norton are supporting Owen in her preparations for the race, which is run on July 30, the Ladies’ Day fixture of Goodwood’s headline summer meeting.

Education Above All is this year the chosen charity for the female-only Magnolia Cup, an initiative that has raised more than £3.5million for women’s causes since its inception in 2011.

Owen is not the first in her family to shorten her stirrups, with her father swapping the owners and trainers restaurant for the weighing room when making his debut in the saddle to finish second aboard Calder Prince in a charity race at Ascot in 2017.

“I’m really looking forward to taking part in the Markel Magnolia Cup this year,” Gemma Owen said.

“Believe it or not, I had never sat on a racehorse until a couple of months ago and the training so far has been humbling to say the least. Spending more time at Manor House Stables, seeing how a racing yard runs like clockwork and getting out onto the gallops has been an incredible experience.

“It is an even bigger challenge than I initially expected but I’m excited to take part in such a prestigious fundraising event which raises so much money for charities supporting women and children.”