The Racing Life of Jelly Nolan
- Jo O'Neill
- 14 hours ago
- 10 min read
‘I never counted the winners – that was never my thing because every winner meant a lot,’ reflects Angelica ‘Jelly’ Nolan, the former point-to-point trainer. As an amateur, she rode thirteen winners and trained many more.
Of those thirteen, Jelly won seven on Look In The Mirror between the Flags and under Rules, including the 2001 Horse & Hound Cup. The winners trained under Jelly’s name included 2003 Lady Dudley Cup by a neck with Paymaster.
Growing up idyllically on the border of England and Wales, near the little market town of Hay-on-Wye, Jelly had no family connections to horses or racing. Full of utter willpower, she forged her own career path. ‘I loved horses and knew that I wanted to work with them. When I left school, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do so I did a bit of everything.
‘I did some eventing. I enjoyed the riding but then stopped as it became stressful. I always loved the cross country but not so much the showjumping and dressage.’ Jelly adds with a smile, ‘Also, I never liked all the eventing tack and still say that the less tack the better – and always a neck strap.’
After the stint in eventing, Jelly went to work with point-to-pointers at Caroline ‘Caro’ Mackness’ yard. She rose up the ranks from groom to trainer, loving every moment. The yard relocated to the Naunton, North Cotswolds, along the same rural lane as Nigel Twiston-Davies’ successful yard.
‘I have great memories, it was a mad life and we had many great days. It was lots of fun.’ At the time, point-to-pointing was still very popular. Jelly recalls all the lads at Nigel Twiston-Davies’ having pointers, rushing round on a Saturday morning to get finished to go racing. Everyone helped each other out. Jelly gave back to racing by giving many young jockeys their first racing experience, including Marc Goldstein, Sam Drinkwater, David England and Johnny England worked on the yard during secondary school; all became succesful jump jockeys.
‘Pointing is where we all began,’ explains Jelly. ‘Not so many kids go hunting so they don’t get that education on horseback from a young age and pointing isn’t what it was to continue this.’
Jelly passed the training over to former husband Fergal O’Brien to look after their two girls and when they’d grown up, she rode out for Nigel for six years. ‘I spent many a happy morning on those gallops,’ she laughs.
Living in Guiting Power, the area she loves, Jelly is still involved in racing through eldest daughter Fern, who is a jockey and works fulltime for her father Fergal, and youngest Daisy, who is studying for A-Levels.
In 2023, Jelly came out of retirement to train once again for Caro, but this time with a young Fern onboard. Proving the old talent was still very much present, Not A Role Model (nicknamed Roly) won twice, placed second at Larkhill twice and was fourth at Stratford at the end of the season.
Daughters Fern and Daisy over the years
Did you have a horsey childhood? I did in the end but completely off my own back because I went begging in local stables to anyone what would have me. From the age of eleven, in my school holidays and weekends, I started working with trekking ponies – there were a lot of trekking around the mountains near the village I lived.
What equestrian disciplines have you worked in? Whilst still at school, I spent weekends at a yard near Ross-on-Wye, helping a friend’s older sister, and did ponies and a bit of everything. From thirteen, I went to a very very successful showing and hunting yard owned by Bill Bryan. They were such a horsey family. Bill was amazing – you don’t get people like him nowadays. When I did my school work experience there, I went with them to the Royal Show and they won everything.
It was showing all summer and then the pointers came in for the winter, which was really fun. I got bitten by the bug but I still wanted to learn as much as I could about horses. As I went through the different types, I increasingly fell for the Thoroughbred – after that bit of eventing, I was craving more Thoroughbreds, especially proper racehorses who galloped and jumped.
So, I went to Caro’s yard that had show horses and pointers – it was perfect as I knew about showing and my ambition was to ride in point-to-points. I started as a stable girl for sisters Vanessa ‘Nessie’ Ramm and Caroline ‘Caro’ Mackness and their late mum Mrs Patricia Duncan. A different lady ran the yard so I was there for eighteen months before, in 1998, asking if I could take over the running of the yard when she left. Credit to Caro and Nessie, they gave me the chance aged only twenty-four.
We had fun. We were all on the same page, all getting loads of enjoyment from seeing the horses well turned out, and then even more so when they ran well. It was originally at Miserden Park, and we had the whole run of grassland until foot and mouth in 2001 stopped us using the grass. Then, we moved up to Summer Hill and used Nigel’s gallops.
How do you reflect back on your career as a jockey? I just loved riding and racing around. I grew up watching the Aintree Grand National with my dad in times that no woman had ever won it. In my head, all I ever wanted to do was ride in a race.
My aim was to enjoy race riding. I rode a few of the other horses but I mostly rode Look In The Mirror (Jimmy), who was trained by my then-partner Fergal O’Brien. I knew Jimmy inside out and we had a lot of fun together. I loved it and was very lucky to have many many amazing days with only a few accidents!
Caro had a little horse called Houghton Lad who I won on at Garnons. I was also second on Arctic Grey in the most hilarious members’ race at Andoversford. It was the first race of the day and the jockeys were myself, Fergal, Rob Biddlecome, Gemma Biddlecome and James Richardson. Of course, Rob won it and went onto win a Lady Dudley cup on the same horse, Greenwich. If he hadn’t been in it, I would’ve beaten the others, which I would have absolutely loved. I also dropped my whip, which was picked up by professional jump jockey Carl Llewellyn and handed back to me with a grin. We just had great fun.
Best days as a trainer: Training hadn’t been my original plan. Initially it was all about riding and this evolved into training, and I absolutely loved it. Training older horses was great as we had many good ones but I loved training babies the most. I loved the whole process – buying them as stores from the sales, breaking them in, starting them off right up to running. I always had a lot of satisfaction with that.
Favourite racehorses: In terms of ability, Fresh Prince (nicknamed Mr Blobby) was my best horse. He was an absolute superstar, but a true bleeder. My main job was to keep him really healthy and never to bleed at home. I learnt very quickly never to gallop him. We never let him off the bridle and rode him twice a day to get him fit enough to win first time out. He taught me more than any other horse – he was amazing. He was a challenge to train – I’m not bigging myself up but he was such a big education in protecting the integrity of the lining of the lungs.
Mounthenry Star was an unbelievably good horse and was very closely related to Barton Bank. We bought him from Ireland as a ten-year-old, where he’d won bumpers, hurdles and chases but was too high in the handicap. Nessie bought him to help Julian Pritchard win his first gentleman amateur title. The ground dried up and he won three races, always by twenty-five lengths, in the space of eight days at Garthorpe, Chaddesley Corbett and Dingley. When he won the third time, the official going was described as Hard and Rough, which wouldn’t happen now as ground isn’t be allowed to be harder than firm.
Jimmy Greenspoon (nicknamed Noo Noo from Sesame Street) was owned by Caro and my heart will always be with him. He was so talented but he was physically fragile. He won lots but couldn’t run very often, and was the first horse I trained who won first time out.
Best day as a trainer: I loved winning the Lady Dudley Cup but I have to credit that to Julian Pritchard. We entered Paymaster and only ran him because Julian correctly predicted there wouldn’t be many runners. If he hadn’t said that, we’d never have run him.
How has pointing changed for the better? When Fern rode Roly, I rang up to check her license had gone through as we were aiming to run in the first point-to-point of the season. Peter Wright from the PPA (Point-to-point Authority) was talking about licences and he said it’s brilliant that insurance costs less for jockeys as they have to do courses and fitness tests. Therefore, the level of riding has improved and there are less injuries. And it’s true; Fern’s amateur certificate was only a little more than mine had cost thirty years ago, back then you filled out a form and they sent you back your license. You did nothing to get it.
How has pointing changed for the worst? Pointing just isn’t the same. I remember Maisemore holding twelve races and the great amateur Julian Pritchard rode in ten of them – he was absolutely exhausted afterwards. Nowadays, not enough horses run in point-to-points. Covid was a nail in the coffin because people had to run their half decent pointer under Rules.
How has National Hunt changed for the better? It’s a great sport – I love it. One thing I always remember is when we started having runners under Rules, not just point-to-pointing. Pointing, I knew everyone and I was pleasantly surprised how lovely and friendly everyone was, including officials and stewards. Under Rules, everyone knew their job, whereas pointing was more stressed because many only did it a few times a year and wanted to get it right.
How has National Hunt changed for the worst? There’s so much politics. I’m sorry if I offend anyone but the BHA don’t do a very good job. There’s too much infighting and too much appeasement to the public.
Also, the world has changed and they think animals are children or humans, but they are not. We loved the racehorses but they are working animals – they had a job to do and earn their keep. These days, some people are so far removed from that, and it’s had a huge effect on racing.
The modifications to the Aintree Grand National are an example, and it’s a shadow of its former self. For me, the worst thing is, by making the fences small and easy, everyone tries to get up the inside as they go so fast. Before, everyone would spread right across the course, and had plenty of room. If you watch a modern National and an old National, it’s like watching two different types of race. There’s still going to be the falls and injuries. I am glad the fences are safer but don’t think they should be smaller because small fences encourage horses to take a chance at them, whereas the bigger fences made them back right off.
Racing hero: I looked up to lots of people – everybody in fact – because I was so happy to be in racing! But Nigel Twiston-Davies stands out for many reasons. He loaned us Look In The Mirror (Jimmy), his seven-year-old homebred who had rubbish form over hurdles, for me to ride. He ran a lot our first season together, ending in three wins. After the second win, on driving back into the yard that evening, Nigel came out to see us. I went off with the horse as Ferg went to speak to Nigel, who gave us Jimmy there and then. I just thought wow – since then, I’ve always thought the world of him.
Nigel is so kind, misunderstood and loyal, and I love him.
Favourite racecourse under Rules: Exeter. I had a 100% strike rate riding round there: two winners from two rides.
Favourite racecourse between the Flags: Andoversford. I loved it there. It was like riding round a rollercoaster. It’s a great shame that it shut.
Favourite jockey: Julian Pritchard. Julian was pointing to the core – cut him in half and there would have been point-to-pointing all the way through like a stick of rock.
Best memories: There’s so many! One great memory is I’d been saving up the bottles of champagne I’d won for best-turned-outs. After I had ridden my first winner on Jimmy, the guys in the Hollow Bottom let me bring my four champagne bottles into celebrate. I was already half pissed as we’d been to the beer tent, and we all came into the pub, passed the fireplace and sprayed it like we’d won at Formula 1. All the champagne was dripping off the ceiling onto the dirty patterned carpet.
After winning the Horse & Hound Cup at Stratford, I remember sitting on the back of a chair with a big platter of chips and a bottle of champagne.
Best ever racing celebrations: When Earth Summit won the 1998 Grand National, the Hollow Bottom was so packed, even the BBC cameras were there somewhere. Four years later, Binderee’s afterparty was as mad. There was also celebrating Imperial Commander winning the 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup but I had two young children at home, and that changes everything.
How different is it for female jockeys nowadays? It’s a lot better but there’s still a long way to go for complete equality. It’s such a shame that ladies’ races are run with a poor quality of horses, because it doesn’t help the girls to prove themselves.
At eighteen, girls aren’t as strong as lads. They initially get opportunities but then get written off. It’s far better to ride as an amateur in points, waiting until they are older and physically stronger. They should be in no rush to go under Rules.
How is it being a mum and watching daughter Fern ride in races? It’s excruciating but brilliant at the same time. I cope better but never feel any better!
Favourite racing pub: The Hollow Bottom. It’s been my local since 1998 and holds so many fun memories.
Favourite meal: A roast.
Favourite drink: A spicy margarita.
Favourite holiday destination: America. I’d love to go to a ranch again. Once, I went to Texas, which was very horsey and rural.
Favourite book: My favourite books are the Millennium Trilogy, starting with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. They’re insanely good. I’d recommend them to anyone, even if they don’t like reading.
Favourite music: Anything apart from Jazz.
Favourite film: Champions.
Favourite TV program: The BBC’s Sherlock series.
Other hobbies/interests: I love cricket, especially test cricket, and politics.
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