Doncaster‘s November meeting often signals the end of the flat turf season, but this year it also marks the end of Hayley Turner’s fifteen year career as jockey.
During that time she established herself as the most successful female jockey in British history recording over 700 winners and £6.7m in prize money.
In 2011 she became the first female rider to claim Group One success aboard Dream Ahead in the July Cup beating Bated Breath by half length. Turner continued the Group One glory six weeks later as she guided Margot Did to the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at the Ebor meeting by the same margin.
The top level success did not stop there, as Turner claimed the Beverly D Stakes at Arlington, Chicago, aboard the Michael Bell trained I’m A Dreamer in 2012.
The following year Turner suffered a serious injured aboard Seal Of Approval in the Park Hill Stakes resulting in a broken pelvis. To add insult to injury, the horse went on to claim the Fillies & Mares Stakes on Champions Day as she watched from the side-line.
Turner suffered from this injury and upon her return to race-riding saw her seasonal totals dip from upwards of 100 winners to around 40.
Hayley Turner signed off from her home track Southwell with a winner this Tuesday, and on her last day in the office will be hoping for the same at Doncaster.
Her final ride comes in the feature handicap aboard Buonarroti for Declan Carroll, who fifteen years ago gave Turner her first ride. Carroll believes he is not without a chance either; “Buonarroti is a horse we like and is coming to hand nicely. He could run a good race”.
Turner also gets the leg up aboard soft ground specialist Hilbilly Boy in the 7f handicap who ran a fine race in the Ayr Silver Cup and should relish the Town Moor turf. Her other rides incluse Bella Nouf in the Listed fillies’ contest and Ed Walker’s Ghalib in the Listed sprint on a competitive card as the curtain comes down on the flat season.
