Forget some of their more high profile football counterparts — Ireland's jockey WAGs certainly know a thing or two about elegant style.

For the first time, the most beautiful women linked with the local racing industry are featured in the pages of a leading society magazine.

The forthcoming July issue of Image magazine has profiled nine of the best-known partners of jockeys in Ireland, both north and south.

They include Chanelle McCoy — wife of Ulster's very own champion hurdler Tony; Eimear O'Reilly — partner of Declan McDonagh; and Laura Berry — partner of flat jockey Fran Berry.

Also featured in the issue are the gorgeous Carey Anne Harney, Paula McCann and Frances Crowley.

All of the ladies in question are either in a long-term relationship with a jockey or married to one and have been busy pursuing their own careers outside of the limelight, along with supporting their other halves.

The racing WAGs are well able to hold their own in the style stakes, giving the footballers' wives brigade a run for their money.

Chanelle McCoy revealed racing was the last thing her and Tony wanted to talk about in their free time.

“It works well for us that I don't involve myself in his career to that extent,” she said.

“He's very serious about his sport and people sometimes see it as being bad-tempered, but that couldn't be further from the truth.”

The full article can be seen in the July issue of Image magazine.

Melanie Morris, Editor of Image magazine, said: “We wanted to run a story on these women because, having met a few of them over the years, I was impressed with how great they were as a group, and how individually successful they are in their own lives — either as mothers of large, happy families, or with fulfilling, busy careers or, in many cases, both.

“And with all the international acclaim our Irish jockeys are receiving with their incredible accomplishments, we thought our readers would be keen to see who are the women behind these great men,” she said.

Dressed to impress in a pink top and white trousers combo, Gillian Walsh, wife of hunt jockey Ruby, is making a name for herself in her own right after recently starting an online jewellery store with her sister Nikki Hensen called diamondlite.ie.

Gillian is expecting her first child in October, after three years of marriage.