Michael Owen’s daughter Gemma Owen stars at Goodwood with late flurry in Magnolia Cup

The Qatar Goodwood Festival, also known as Glorious Goodwood, is a big highlight of the horse racing calendar in a five-day meeting from Tuesday to Saturday but one of the big races is one that doesn’t show up on the racecards.

And that is the Markel Magnolia Cup which included familiar faces for fans of football, horse racing, and Love Island.

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Former England and Manchester United footballer Michael Owen’s daughter, Gemma Owen was amongst the riders in today’s Magnolia Cup.

She was well-equipped to taking this challenge on given Owen’s long-standing love of horse racing and his ownership of the stables Manor House where Hugo Palmer trains from.

Gemma, Love Island’s 2022 runner-up is also a dressage rider competing for Great Britain, even winning three events in her career.

The Owens didn’t take victory in this year’s Magnolia Cup though.

Victory went the way of Imaan Rasul-Healer who works in the racing industry at Newmarket.

Amazingly, she was a first reserve jockey who was called into replace Molly Hunter, a Sports and horseracing reporter at Press Association had to give up her ride on the winning horse Khor Al Adaid, due to illness.

Owen finished strongly overtaking most of the field but couldn’t catch up with the long-time leaders, but placed a great fourth place considering she was at the back of the field with just a couple of furlongs to go.

Getty

Getty

What is the Magnolia Cup?

The Magnolia Cup is a prestigious charity race that sees women from all kinds of different backgrounds who are an inspiration in sport take on the challenge of riding a horse in the race,

Some are already adept to riding horses but some take on the race having to take on weeks and sometimes months of training learning from scratch.

And even with experienced riders, riding on a racehorse is completely different to riding all types of different horses.

It’s the first race and opening contest on the Thursday at Glorious Goodwood to kick off the day with a huge amount of positivity as the renowned charity contest is open to all who want to apply.

Giving women a chance to take part in one of the biggest race meetings in the world of horse racing.

The race suppports the charity Education Above All (EAA) a global foundation established by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.

EAA believes that education is the most effective means of reducing poverty, creating peaceful and just societies which goes towards its key aims of transforming lives through education and employment opportunities.

Markel Magnolia Cup 2026 riders

• Alice Hawker Bloodstock assistant underwriter for Markel International
• Araminta Reed Motosport content creator
• Charlotte Littlefield Australian racehorse trainer and broadcaster
• Gemma Owen TV Presenter and dressage rider
• Ilona Wells Veterinary Technology
• Jasmine Watts Construction loss adjustor in London
• Joanna Bovis Reconstructive microsurgeon at the Royal Marsden Hospital
• Molly Hunter Sports and horseracing reporter at Press Association
• Nermina Pieters-Mekic Real Housewives of Cheshire star
• Ruth Inman Riding A Dream Academy graduate
• Victoria Wang Bloodstock agent based in Australia and China
• Zoey Schorsch Exec for Audrain Group
• Imaan Rasul-Healer (First Reserve) Works in racing in Newmarket
• Bryony Harris (Second Reserve) Partnerships manager at Worcester Cricket Club and part-time rider for Dan Skelton

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