The jockey who delayed her retirement for one race - now can she win her weight in champagne in the Queen Mother's Cup?

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You know winning this race must be really important if someone has delayed their retirement to give themselves another chance of doing it for real.   

While Becky Smith may be listed as the official winning rider of last year's Queen Mother's Cup, she missed out on all the celebrations and the traditional sit on the scales as the successful jockey is given her weight in champagne.

That is because she was actually beaten a head on Chillingham that day and was awarded the race 72 hours later, when the BHA whip review committee judged that Megan Jordan had hit first-past-the-post My Dream World four times over the permitted level.

• Queen Mother's Cup-winning rider offers to share champagne prize with disqualified rival after being awarded race three days later 

Smith, 39, had been trying to win the prize for 14 years and admitted this race was one of the motivations when she fought her way back to fitness after suffering a career-threatening hip injury in 2023.

She is back to try again on Chillingham, who has since been bought to join her at Micky Hammond's yard in Middleham, where she is assistant trainer.

"This has been the plan since we bought him in October and I'm looking forward to it," she said. "He dropped back in trip at York last month and it was a bit of lacklustre effort on paper, but he came out of it really well and it's sharpened him up, he's full of himself.

"We'll never know if I'd have been first past the post last year if Megan had stuck to the rules, but that's given me a little bit more fire in my belly to try and win it outright.

"It's going to be my last York as I'm going to go on the training licence with Micky sooner rather than later. This race has got away so many times and I'm having one more crack at it – if I win, I can retire happy, otherwise we have one in the ladies' race at Ripon on Thursday."    

Practice makes perfect: Becky Smith (right) and Hayley Clements were crowned Racing Come Dancing championsCredit: Louise Pollard

Smith, who had been placed four times in the Queen Mother's Cup previously, has since enjoyed an even more glittering success at York, where she and Hayley Clements were crowned Racing Come Dancing champions last November.

"Hayley will be there on Saturday to cheer me on," Smith said. "I think everyone is more confident than I am but he should run well."

What they say

David O'Meara, trainer of Prince Of The Seas
I was more encouraged by his run at Ripon last time, I thought he ran a nice race. He's been in good form since, so hopefully he'll run well.

Ian Williams, trainer of Parlando
He has quite an inexperienced amateur in Amy Milburn on board, but he should enjoy the track, trip and ground. He's not been at his best on his last few runs so it would be nice if he could bounce back.

Jim Goldie, trainer of Humble Spark
He should run well. It's a unique race in the calendar. He's a good ride for an amateur, as he switches off and travels into the race well, and Natasha Cookson has been up to ride work here.

Adrian Keatley: saddles an intriguing runner in Secret ForceCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Adrian Keatley, trainer of Secret Force
We were happy with his first run for us. He's come on a lot since then, and we hope he can get back to winning ways. Georgie Benson has won a banks race at Punchestown and has ridden bumper winners for Gordon Elliott, so she has loads of experience.

Karl Burke, trainer of Dunkeld Dreamer
She should stay and she'll like the good ground, I hope she'll give Sophie Dobson a good ride.

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