Victoria Pendleton remains very much on target to make her debut as an amateur jockey at Newbury next Thursday.

The double Olympic cycling champion has taken time out from riding out at trainer Lawney Hill’s stable near her home in the village of Moreton, near Thame, to attend a two-day course at Newmarket as part of her preparation for her first ride in a race.

Since she announced in March that her aim was to ride in the Foxhunter Chase at next year’s Cheltenham Festival, Pendleton has undergone months of intensive training under a team of experts.

Her first goal is riding in the George Frewer Charity Race over one mile and five furlongs at the Berkshire track, and Hill reports the training to be going smoothly.

“Victoria has been doing very well. She’s been riding out regularly galloping, schooling doing everything,” she said.

“At the moment she’s ahead of schedule and is planning to ride in a charity race at Newbury a week today.

“We’ve been very happy with her progress to this date and she’s putting everything into it.

“Obviously she’s a true professional.

"She turns up religiously every day on time.

“She’s really enjoying it and has asked after this challenge is over, can she still come and ride out with us as she loves it.

“After all the grind and gruel of the training that you have to have to be an Olympic champion, she’s finding this refreshingly different.”

Pendleton, 34, retired from competitive cycling shortly after the 2012 London Olympics, in which she won a gold medal in the keirin and a silver in the sprint.

This followed her sprint gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

With two gold and one silver, she is one of Britain’s most successful female Olympic competitors.

She was appointed a CBE in 2013.