Double Gold Olympian now Jockey

There was promise, but there was no result for former Olympic track cyclist Victoria Pendleton at Newbury last Thursday when she finished out of the frame on Mighty Mambo on her racecourse debut.

Prior to the George Frewer Charity Race over 13 furlongs, trainer Lawney Hill stated that Mighty Mambo was in the race to “take care” of her illustrious partner and sponsors Betfair considered her only a 2-1 chance to reach the first five home.

It was an accurate assessment of her chances, as the gold medal-winning athlete held up her mount in the early stages and was never competitive.

Mighty Mambo travelled well towards the rear of the field and had just two behind when turning for home. Pendleton's mount made pleasing progress down the Berkshire course's long straight and was not beaten far, with his rider not looking out of place in the saddle.

The one-mile-five-furlong event was won by the Maisie Turner-ridden Oratorio's Joy.

Pendleton is better known for winning in the Velodrome at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and although the loss must have dented her competitive spirit it was clear how much the experience meant to her.

“It was over too quickly, it was so much fun. I wish I could out there again now,” Pendleton told Racing UK.

"I was trying to be patient and tuck in, but was caught a little wide and left myself with a little too much to do. I should know better really.

"My aim was to get through the race, not look out of place or fall off, and to get to the end in one piece.

"When training a horse you don't get to push them at home, so I don't know if I was doing it right. We'll have a look at the replays and look at my technique in training.

"One skill I need to work on is using the whip, as I've carried it but never used it and that's next on the list of things to do.

"It is my first race as a jockey and I love every minute of it."

The nine-times World Champion cyclist has been training for four months to be an amateur jockey with the long-term aim of riding in Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival next year.

The 34-year-old has had the assistance of trainers Paul Nicholls and Hill, as well as Yogi Breisner, the Team GB Eventing performance manager, and even former champion jockey AP McCoy has handed down some much-needed advice.

She was also required to attend the British Racing School for an assessment of her riding and fitness, and has started to school over brush hurdles. Not one averse to hard work, she seems to be thriving on the unique adrenaline rush of riding out five times a week.

"It's the most incredible feeling and nothing comes close to that moment you first gallop and canter a horse, it's phenomenal” she added.

"It's crazy to think how you have to rely on something else so much and it's a really interesting relationship.

"One of the biggest things about riding a horse is you have to keep your cool to a whole new level, because they know how you feel. It's helped develop myself as an athlete.

"I've been missing a challenge. I wanted something to get out of bed for and something that training fulfilled, and this filled the gap.

"I can't wait to ride out tomorrow - that's how sad I am."

She later revealed that she will be applying for her amateur licence next month.

"If I get to the start line at Cheltenham it will be a huge win for me, as I appreciate how tough jumps racing is. People underestimate how much work jockeys put in," she said.

"I'd like to thank Lawney and Alan Hill, I appreciate how much time and effort they've put in. They've both given me such incredible support. My amateur licence assessment is in August, which I've got booked. The idea of going point-to-pointing looks good fun and it's low key."