Grand National countdown: Lizzie Kelly primed for ride aboard Tea For Two
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
With competition hotter than ever, striving to be as fit as possible is now at the forefront every jockey’s mind.
Gone are the days of smoke-filled weighing rooms, with riders simply relying on riding out and racecourse action to keep their bodies in shape – fitness is now viewed as key to successful careers.
Having succeeded at Grade One level, as well as having two Cheltenham Festival victories to her name, Lizzie Kelly is well versed in exactly what is expected of jockeys.
Kelly helped to put a number of journalists through their paces during a Jockey Fit session – devised to show the sort of fitness levels required of riders – at UN1T gym in London on Tuesday, before outlining some factors that have accelerated a shift in mindsets.
Kelly said: “People are under pressure to be fitter all the time. That is down to racing becoming more competitive.
“I think back in the day that (just riding out and in races) was probably what you did, but I think that people are generally more pro-active in terms of fitness.
“I think with the fact that jockeys are in general getting bigger, you have to work at it a bit more.
“I absolutely have to keep on top of my weight all the time, so I exercise frequently and I think that is a primary reason for everyone else.”
Press Association reporter Graham Clark was one of the journalists to tackle the Jockey Fit workout
Exercise may be now be a key requirement for jockeys, but the right sort of activities need be carried out to allow them to compete to the best of their abilities.
Kelly said: “I can’t do a lot of gym stuff as I would get heavy with muscle, so I do a lot of running.
“I don’t think you would find any jockeys pumping iron, as it were, because of the issue of building up too much muscle.
“To be fair, I work 7am until 1pm and 4pm to 6pm every day when I’m not racing. I’m a very active person and that always helps as you are constantly burning whatever you are eating.”
One of the biggest changes that has taken place is the attitude towards smoking and while several riders still smoke on a regular basis, Kelly believes the number has declined in recent years.
She added: “There is just not the number of people smoking anymore – that number has definitely gone down since I started riding.
“I’m sure people who have been riding longer could tell you good stories about how it used to be, but it is not really a done thing now.
“I think people are now choosing to have the lifestyle of an athlete. I think the need to smoke is not there as much.”
Graham Clark also tried his hand on the equiciser under Lizzie Kelly
Maintaining a balanced diet is equally important for jockeys, but by increasing levels of exercise, Kelly believes it can allow eating patterns to be much more flexible than perhaps was the case in the past.
She added: “I just tend to eat the same sort of thing every day. You know what things are light or heavy and you just try to stay on the right side of it.
“Diet is probably harder than exercise. That is why I probably exercise so much, as I would rather do that than be on a strict diet.
“I’d rather be able to feel I can sort of eat what I want, without going mad, because I’ve exercised enough to cope with it.”
Tea For Two and Lizzie Kelly in action over regulation fences at Aintree in 2017
Kelly will put her fitness to the ultimate test on Saturday by attempting to become the first female jockey to win the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree aboard Tea For Two.
She added: “We went down to David Pipe’s (yard) to school over the Grand National-style fences again and he seems well.
“Let’s just hope we make it over the second fence which will be better than my Cheltenham Gold Cup attempt on him!”
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