Former track cyclist Victoria Pendleton has been granted an amateur riders' licence and is due to make her debut under Rules at Ripon on Monday.
Britain's most successful female Olympian announced her intention to train as a jockey earlier this year and is hoping to line up in the Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in a challenge backed by bookmaker Betfair.
The double Olympic champion made her debut on a racecourse in a charity event at Newbury last month, but is now set to take the next step in her Cheltenham mission in Monday's Betfair Novice Flat Amateur Series after being awarded her 'Category A' licence.
Pendleton, who has been riding out regularly for trainer Lawney Hill, was put through a thorough mandatory assessment at the British Racing School in Newmarket last week and proved her ability to school over fences and break from stalls, among other criteria.
She said: "I'm delighted. Since Betfair first approached me, it's been a hugely challenging, yet unbelievably exciting six months.
"I have been working extremely hard with Lawney and Alan Hill and Yogi Breisner to prepare for this and couldn't thank them enough.
"The experience has been life changing; I can't imagine my life without it now.
"There's still a long way to go to achieve the ambitious goal of riding in the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham next year, but I'm more than happy with my progress so far.
"Next up is Ripon on August 31 in the Betfair Novice Flat Amateur series, which will be my first time racing with an official licence, I can't wait."
