Lang inspired to join Pink Ribbon Cup ranks

By Dylan Mutu

Apprentice hoop Emily Lang is gearing up for a big day in the saddle at Aquis Park this Saturday, driven by newfound motivation to join her fellow female jockeys as Cup winners during the annual Pink Ribbon Raceday.

This weekend, over 4,000 people dressed in pink are expected to gather at the Gold Coast Turf Club in support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation for the 17th consecutive year, helping to raise crucial awareness of the disease for both men and women.

Saturday’s pink-themed race meeting will be highlighted by the Pink Ribbon Cup, which rising apprentice Emily Lang is motivated to win across her full book of rides.

In recent years, female jockeys have led the charge in the Cup, including the likes of Stephanie Thornton, Tegan Harrison, and most recently Angela Jones all cashing in on the feature event.

The rising 23-year-old is eager to join that group on Saturday aboard her lightweight chance, Catwalk Criminal, for Adam Campton.

“It's such a great event to be a part of, and I’m very thankful for the support from Racing Queensland that every time these pink colours pass the post first, it’s an automatic $1,000 for the foundation,” Lang said.

“It affects a lot of people, and I'm quite lucky I haven't had anyone in my direct family diagnosed with breast cancer, but I have a lot of family friends who have been affected, and it's terrible.

“The Pink Ribbon Cup is one you’d like to win on the day, and it’s something I'd love to do.

“Luckily, I’m on a really good chance for Adam Campton, so hopefully I can get the job done.”

As the feature meet of the 2024 Pink Ribbon Raceweek, this event has become one of the biggest racedays held annually at Aquis Park, proudly raising over $1.5 million over the past 16 years—a feat that Pink Ribbon Cup founder Robyn Cameron couldn't be prouder of.

“In 2008, I held a Pink Ribbon Raceday with a sell-out event of 450 people, and we raised about $20,000. I was ecstatic with that,” Cameron said.

“It’s now grown to the point where we raised over $250,000 on the day alone last year, and with the support of Racing Queensland and Sky Racing, we boosted it to $350,000.”

As she does every year, Cameron emphasises the core purpose of the initiative, which is raising vital funds to support breast cancer research.

And this year, she is particularly focused on the cause, following the recent passing of Pink Ribbon's Media Ambassador, Sarah Jolly, who tragically lost her battle with the deadly disease.

A race will be run in Sarah’s honour at the Gold Coast tomorrow.

“Here in Australia, 58 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer each day, with three women under the age of 40 in that group,” Cameron said.

“Over 200 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and even more telling is that we will have nine Australians die from breast cancer each day—that's one person nearly every two hours.

“So, this Saturday is an opportunity for everyone to support life-saving research as we strive for our ultimate goal of zero deaths from breast cancer, with the importance of this goal been driven home by the recent passing of our Pink Ribbon Cup Raceday Media Ambassador, Sarah Jolly.”

Gold Coast Turf Club CEO Steve Lines is looking forward to his club and team playing their part in the 17th edition of the event, applauding the efforts of all stakeholders in bringing the week to life.

“We’re a community club at the Gold Coast Turf Club, and we try to help as many charities as possible raise funds for their good causes. It's all about giving back to the community, and we’ve built this into a very significant day,” Lines said.

“With over $1.5 million raised over the years and all the other tri-code clubs on board, it makes for a significant week for our industry overall—something we should all be proud of.

“We’ll have over 4,000 people here this Saturday, and with beautiful weather predicted, it’s going to be a very successful day.”

The Pink Ribbon Cup remains Australia’s largest official community fundraiser for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Albion Park Harness Racing Club will also host a Pink Ribbon meeting tomorrow night.

Click here to purchase a virtual seat or table for the Pink Ribbon Cup event, or click here to purchase tickets for the raceday. 

Click here for more information about Pink Ribbon Raceweek.