Alex Edwards: 'I've had to turn professional now because of shutdown'

At nearly 31 Alex Edwards has left it late to become a conditional jockey, but he has a wealth of experience and talent.

Edwards was Britain’s champion point-to-point rider in the 2017-18 season, during which he rode 42 winners, and currently heads the men’s championship in this disjointed season. He is a familiar face in races under rules and has won the Foxhunter Chases at Cheltenham and Aintree. His brother Lee is a professional jump jockey.

Alex, who claims 3lb, has ridden frequently for trainer Alastair Ralph and hopes for further bookings from that yard, but it is his association with Philip and Melanie Rowley’s stable near his home at Much Wenlock in Shropshire that has inspired the late move to professional status.