Owner hopes his horses can boost IJF after silks deal - including a Willie Mullins Royal Ascot contender

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An owner is seeking to help further promote the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) by carrying the charity’s logo on his silks in major races in Britain over the coming months.

Vincent Caldwell, an internet betting pioneer, had hoped to get the collaboration off to the perfect start with a winner at Royal Ascot, but while sponsorship restrictions will prevent the logo from being carried at the Berkshire venue, the owner said he would be “disappointed” if the Willie Mullins-trained Columbus does not come home in front at the fixture.

He said: “I was watching the racing the other day and I saw a few jockeys take the most horrible falls. I later watched a football match and saw players being paid thousands of pounds who were rolling around on the floor after they’d hardly been touched, and I just thought I wanted to do something. 

“I want to raise the IJF message even more, so their logo is going to be on the front of my silks. We’re just looking to promote the IJF through the months ahead in some good races on television.”

He added: “After we get going with that, I’ll be thinking about what more we can do to help support and promote the IJF and the Irish Injured Jockeys fund too. These riders are so tough and resilient, and most of them get little reward for what they do.”

Caldwell’s best-known performer is Captain Cody, who he owns in partnership with Angela Shamoon and Alexandra Shamoon Ibgi. The eight-year-old won last year’s Scottish Grand National and unseated four fences from home in this year’s Grand National at Aintree.

Captain Cody: winner of the 2025 Scottish Grand NationalCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

However, it is Columbus, who Caldwell owns with Angela Shamoon and Glenn Loxton, who he is hoping will follow in the footsteps of the Mullins-trained Sober by winning the the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“Columbus is in the Gold Cup, but the race Willie had in mind for him when he bought him is the Queen Alexandra,” said Caldwell. “Sober, who won the race last year, ran in a hurdle race at Killarney before going to Ascot, and our horse ran in the same race this year.

“I spoke to Willie this week and he said Columbus has been doing everything right and he’s happy. We’re hoping Ryan Moore or William Buick will be able to ride, and I would be disappointed if he wasn’t able to win as he has some very good Flat form.”

Caldwell added: “Captain Cody’s out to grass. It’s a shame [about the Grand National] because he was going so well and it was a soft unseat, but it’s one of those things. We’ll go back next year and have another crack. 

“Bentraghhill unfortunately missed Cheltenham this year, but he’ll be aimed at the meeting next year and is one we all think a lot of, Willie included.”

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