Aamilah Aswat has made history as the first female black British jump jockey to win a race in the UK.
The 20-year-old, who is also the first woman of South Asian heritage to become a jump jockey in Britain, won a 2m5f handicap hurdle at Kempton on Monday in just her fourth professional ride. Aswat rode Guchen, trained by Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls, to victory, guiding the 9-1 shot home in a field of 11.
Born to Jamaican and Indian parents, Aswat grew up in Gloucester and experienced racial abuse, but she found her way into racing after a family friend gave her a ride. She learned to ride at St James’ City Farm and joined the inaugural Riding A Dream Academy scholarship programme in 2021-22, a scheme sponsored by The Jockey Club that supports young people from diverse ethnic communities into horse racing.
Reflecting on the win, Aswat said: “First of all I would like to thank everyone who has supported me every step of the way and to Kim and Mat and the owners for giving me this opportunity. Words can’t express what it feels like to have achieved this win so soon. I just feel really happy and hopefully it’s just the beginning for me and there’ll be many more wins to come in my career.”
Aswat took out her jockey’s licence in autumn 2025. She had previously spoken to Sky Sports about her racing journey in 2024.
Naomi Lawson, co-founder of the Riding A Dream Academy, said: “We’re so incredibly proud of Aamilah. She has always been a stand-out talent, and we are so pleased that all her hard work has paid off. For her to make history today and become the first Riding A Dream Academy student to win a race is incredible and we are so grateful to everyone who has supported her on her journey.”
