To celebrate Hayley Turner reaching the 1,000 winners mark, we have picked out six of her most notable victories.
The 40-year-old has blazed a trail for female jockeys throughout her career, but it was not too hard to narrow this list down to her two Group One triumphs, plus four Royal Ascot strikes!
Dream Ahead (2011)
Turner became the first female jockey to claim a Group One success outright when steering David Simcock’s star sprinter to victory in the July Cup over six furlongs at Newmarket. The 7-1 shot had to overcome trouble in running but showed a superb turn of foot once getting clear and was half a length in front of Bated Breath at the finishing post. With regular partner William Buick required elsewhere that day, Turner said: “I’ve not sat on the horse before, so I can’t take much credit, but credit to David and the owner (Khalifa Dasmal) for chucking me up on him.”
Margot Did (2011)
Despite being 20-1, Margot Did travelled sweetly throughout the Nunthorpe Stakes at York and, after hitting the front approaching the furlong pole, she kept on strongly to beat Hamish McGonagall by three-quarters of a length. Turner became the woman to win this Group One prize over five furlongs, after Alex Greaves had dead-heated on Ya Malak in 1997. Turner said: “I am just thrilled with how the race has gone. She’s a small filly, but she’s very tough. She liked having plenty of room and just blasted.”
Thanks Be (2019)
Turner became only the second woman – and first since Gay Kelleway 32 years earlier – to ride a Royal Ascot winner when Charlie Fellowes’ 33-1 shot triumphed in the Sandringham Stakes. Thanks Be got home by a neck from the Queen’s Magnetic Charm, and Turner joked: “Fair play to Gay, she has had the bragging rights for a long time and now I can take them off her. Royal Ascot is different class – I’ve had winners all over the world and it is a buzz, but Royal Ascot is so unique and has so much history.”
Onassis (2020)
History repeated itself as Turner again teamed up with Fellowes to land the Sandringham for the second straight year, with this filly also going off as a 33-1 outsider. Turner produced Onassis from stall one on the previously unfavoured part of the track to hit the front and land a cosy triumph by a length and a quarter from Waliyak. No spectators were present due to Covid protocols, but the jockey said: “For us, nothing really changes, it’s still great to have a Royal Ascot winner whether people are here or not.”
Latin Lover (2022)
Another well-timed late surge saw this 5-1 chance pip Nymphadora in the dying strides of the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes, giving trainer Harry Eustace a maiden Royal Ascot victory with his first runner at the meeting. George Wood usually partnered the gelding but Turner proved a more than able deputy, stating: “It’s a bit unfortunate, but he can’t do the weight so it went in my favour.”
Docklands (2023)
Turner produced the Eustace-trained colt late on to land the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot, coming with a tremendous rattle up the stands rail to collar New Endeavour in the closing strides. She said of the 6-1 favourite: “I honestly didn’t know until they called the photo whether I had won or not because the two horses were so far apart. It’s such a thrill.”
Hayley Turner secured the 1,000th winner of her record-breaking riding career aboard Tradesman at Chelmsford on Tuesday evening.
Turner has been a pioneer for female jockeys since arriving on the scene as an apprentice in 2000, notching a string of landmark firsts.
After reaching the 999-winner mark with Lunar Eclipse at Newmarket earlier this month, Turner was made to wait a little longer for her 1,000th – but appropriately it came in the Dream Ahead colours of owner Khalifa Dismal for trainer David Simcock.
For it was in 2011 she broke new ground when steering Dream Ahead to victory in the July Cup at Newmarket, becoming the first woman to secure a Group One victory outright.
Dream Ahead’s triumph was quickly followed by another elite-level success on board Margot Did in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York just over a month later.
Tom Curry will miss the entire Six Nations and most likely the rest of the season after Sale revealed he must undergo surgery to repair a hip injury.
Curry has been troubled by the issue since playing a full part in helping England finish third in the recent World Cup and a visit to a specialist confirmed that a clear out of the joint is the only option.
The 25-year-old flanker, an automatic pick for England when fit, will undergo the operation the week after next.
Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson said: “Tom has been back down to London to have further extensive x-rays under movement with a different consultant and this is the best thing for him in the short term.”
The Premier League has been defeated in its bid to ban loan transfers between associated party clubs in January.
The move was designed to prevent a club like Newcastle loaning a player from another club owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – they have been linked with a temporary switch for Ruben Neves from Saudi club Al-Hilal.
The Premier League needed 14 out of 20 clubs to vote for the ban at the shareholders’ meeting in London on Tuesday afternoon.
But the PA news agency understands the vote finished 13-7 in favour of a ban, short of the threshold to push the motion through.
Injury-hit Newcastle will now, if they wish, be able to bring in former Wolves midfielder Neves on loan to replace Sandro Tonali following his 10-month ban for breaking rules on gambling.
Similarly, Manchester City would be able to loan players from other clubs owned by the City Football Group.
In another blow to the Premier League, the clubs were unable to approve the terms of the so-called ‘New Deal’, a £900million settlement between it and clubs in the English Football League.
The Premier League had hoped to confirm the package at Tuesday’s meeting, but it is understood no vote took place.
Despite a three-hour discussion there remains a sticking point surrounding new cost control measures for both Premier League and EFL clubs.
The Premier League wants the matter resolved before the new independent regulator in English football is put in place.
The Pittsburgh Steelers fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada on Tuesday following another dismal performance in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns.
“Matt Canada has been relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement.
“I appreciate Matt’s hard work and dedication, and I wish him the best moving forward in his career.”
The Steelers were held to 10 points or less for the fourth time in 10 games this season in a 13-10 loss at Cleveland on Sunday that dropped Pittsburgh to 6-4.
The Baltimore Ravens (8-3) are in first place in the tightly contested AFC North, with Cleveland (7-3) sitting in second and the Cincinnati Bengals (5-5) right behind the Steelers.
Canada was hired as Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks coach in January 2020 and then promoted to offensive coordinator after the 2020 season.
In 44 games since, the Steelers are 28th in the NFL in both yards per game (310.1) and points per game (18.6).
Pittsburgh also ranks 28th this season in yards (280.1) and points (16.6).
In Sunday’s crucial visit to Cleveland, the Steelers totalled 249 net yards – including only 77 net passing.
Kenny Pickett, the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has passed for just 465 yards and one touchdown in Pittsburgh’s last four games.
Pickett’s 75.3 passer rating over that four-week stretch is the fifth worst in the NFL among qualifying quarterbacks.
Quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan and running backs coach Eddie Faulkner reportedly will share duties as Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator when the Steelers visit the Bengals this Sunday.
While it may be stressful training the best National Hunt horse around, Constitution Hill himself continues to astound Nicky Henderson with just how relaxed he is.
Henderson has repeatedly stated that one of the major weapons in his armoury is his laid-back nature, and he certainly wastes no energy at Seven Barrows.
Just like the perfect racehorse, though, he comes alive on the track and although it can be hard to gauge just where he is at on the gallops, so far Henderson has got it right.
He has enjoyed two blemish-free seasons, with three wins as a novice and four last year which started out in Newcastle’s Betmgm Fighting Fifth Hurdle – and he will go down the same route this season starting on Saturday week.
“Constitution Hill is fine. He’s asleep in his box. He’s all set for Newcastle,” said Henderson at Newbury on Tuesday morning.
But Henderson did have less positive news on Champ, who had been aimed at Newbury’s Long Distance Hurdle next week.
He unfortunately will have to miss that engagement due to a setback.
“One who is on hold is Champ who has a trapped epiglottis and won’t be ready for Newbury,” said Henderson.
Paul Townend is relishing the prospect of being reunited with Galopin Des Champs this weekend, when the Cheltenham Gold Cup hero bids for back-to-back victories in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase.
The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old kicked off a tremendous campaign with victory in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One last season before going on to lift the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and the blue riband at Prestbury Park in March.
He suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow on his final start of the campaign in the Punchestown Gold Cup – and the pair are set to renew rivalry in the feature event on day two of the new-look Winter Festival in County Kildare.
“I’m looking forward to Galopin Des Champs, every day you get to get up on a Gold Cup winner is a brilliant day and they’re the type of horses we wall want,” said Townend.
“He takes on Fastorslow, which won’t be an easy task. He beat us here at the Festival, so we’ll have to try to get our own back on him.”
Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow are two of nine horses in contention for the John Durkan, with Mullins also responsible for Appreciate It, Asterion Forlonge, Blue Lord and Stattler.
Gordon Elliott’s pair of Conflated and Farouk D’alene, and French Dynamite from Mouse Morris’ yard, complete the potential field.
Mullins and Elliott are the only two trainers represented in Saturday’s main event, the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle.
State Man provided Mullins with a ninth win in the last 10 years when successful 12 months ago and is in the mix once again alongside stablemates Impaire Et Passe, Ashroe Diamond and Echoes In Rain.
Townend, who will presumably be on the stable’s first string, added: “It’s the most exciting time of year – none of them have been beaten yet (this season)!
“It’s a joy to go into Willie’s and look at the board and see the names. There’s a lot of big names from last year and a lot of new horses there – we’re trying to find the next superstar at this time of year.”
The Elliott trio of Fils D’oudairies, Irish Point and Pied Piper are the other Morgiana hopefuls.
He is likely to run at least two of the three, and said: “Pied Piper will go for the Morgiana. He’s hard to place but we’ll have a go. He’s in good form and he’s had his good run on the Flat the last day.
“I’ll probably run Fils D’oudairies as well. On ratings he has a lot to find, but it could be only a three- or four-runner race.”
Paul Townend is relishing the prospect of being reunited with Galopin Des Champs this weekend, when the Cheltenham Gold Cup hero bids for back-to-back victories in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase.
The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old kicked off a tremendous campaign with victory in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One last season before going on to lift the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and the blue riband at Prestbury Park in March.
He suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow on his final start of the campaign in the Punchestown Gold Cup – and the pair are set to renew rivalry in the feature event on day two of the new-look Winter Festival in County Kildare.
“I’m looking forward to Galopin Des Champs, every day you get to get up on a Gold Cup winner is a brilliant day and they’re the type of horses we wall want,” said Townend.
“He takes on Fastorslow, which won’t be an easy task. He beat us here at the Festival, so we’ll have to try to get our own back on him.”
Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow are two of nine horses in contention for the John Durkan, with Mullins also responsible for Appreciate It, Asterion Forlonge, Blue Lord and Stattler.
Gordon Elliott’s pair of Conflated and Farouk D’alene, and French Dynamite from Mouse Morris’ yard, complete the potential field.
Mullins and Elliott are the only two trainers represented in Saturday’s main event, the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle.
State Man provided Mullins with a ninth win in the last 10 years when successful 12 months ago and is in the mix once again alongside stablemates Impaire Et Passe, Ashroe Diamond and Echoes In Rain.
Townend, who will presumably be on the stable’s first string, added: “It’s the most exciting time of year – none of them have been beaten yet (this season)!
“It’s a joy to go into Willie’s and look at the board and see the names. There’s a lot of big names from last year and a lot of new horses there – we’re trying to find the next superstar at this time of year.”
The Elliott trio of Fils D’oudairies, Irish Point and Pied Piper are the other Morgiana hopefuls.
He is likely to run at least two of the three, and said: “Pied Piper will go for the Morgiana. He’s hard to place but we’ll have a go. He’s in good form and he’s had his good run on the Flat the last day.
“I’ll probably run Fils D’oudairies as well. On ratings he has a lot to find, but it could be only a three- or four-runner race.”
Ben Earl will be available for the start of England’s Six Nations campaign after Saracens received a positive update on his knee problem.
Earl sustained the injury to his right leg during the warm-up for Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership victory over Harlequins and left The Stoop on crutches, raising concerns that he might be facing a lengthy spell out.
But a scan has revealed medial meniscus damage which has now been repaired and England’s star of the recent World Cup should be back in action for Saracens in January.
“Ben had a minor knee procedure this morning. We anticipate he’ll be out for between four to six weeks. Overall I think that would be a good result,” director of rugby Mark McCall said.
Patrick Neville remains keen on a crack at the King George VI Chase with The Real Whacker after his stable star finished lame on his seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham on Saturday.
Having completed a hat-trick at Prestbury Park when narrowly outpointing Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Festival in March, the seven-year-old returned to the Cotswolds for the Paddy Power Gold Cup and was among the leading fancies, despite carrying top-weight of 12st.
But after matching strides with the eventual winner Stage Star for much of the two-and-a-half-mile-journey, The Real Whacker weakened out of contention before the home turn and was eventually pulled up by Sam Twiston-Davies, after which his injury was discovered.
“He got a dirty overreach – he’s OK, but he was a small bit lame after it,” said Neville.
“Sam said he was travelling fierce well and then he realised something was amiss so he stopped and pulled up and looked after him.
“The vet checked him over yesterday morning, he’s fine and was on the water treadmill this morning, so we’ll roll on now for the King George.”
The Real Whacker is a 33-1 shot for Kempton’s Boxing Day highlight, but Neville is confident he can put his comeback run behind him and be back to his best for his festive outing.
He added: “It could have been a lot worse, we knew something was amiss and Sam minded him.
“We’ve got a run into him now and we knew whatever happened he’d improve for the run. We’ve got that over and done with, so we’ll move on and get him ready for Christmas.
“He’ll be big price I’m sure, but I don’t mind.”
The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says a delegation from the Government of South Africa will visit Jamaica this week to conduct a study tour of the island’s sports programme.
The delegation is being led by the South African Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, the Honourable Nocawe Noncedo Mafu.
Minister Grange says the visit is part of the bilateral agreement between Jamaica and South Africa for cooperation in sports and recreation.
The visit, which begins on Tuesday (tomorrow), is also a follow-up to the Jamaica/South Africa Political Consultations last year in which South Africa expressed an interest in better understanding Jamaica’s sports development model.
Minister Grange will host the South African delegation in discussions about Jamaica’s sports policy framework, national sports organisations, anti-doping, facilities management and sports financing.
The South African delegation will also receive presentations by the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association and the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association; and visit institutions, including the University of Technology and the GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sports.
Earlier this year, Jamaica hosted a sports study tour by a delegation from the Trinidad and Tobago government.
Michael Malone quipped that Nikola Jokic was purely out to defend him after the Denver Nuggets pair were ejected from Monday's game against the Detroit Pistons.
Two-time NBA MVP Jokic and Nuggets head coach Malone were both ejected in the first quarter of Denver's 107-103 win over the struggling Pistons, who have now lost 12 straight games.
Jokic was called for a technical foul for arguing with the officials, before he was tossed for arguing another call in the final two minutes of the quarter.
Malone, meanwhile, was ejected because he went onto the court to dispute a decision.
"I think Nikola was worried about my welfare," Malone joked.
"It is tough to watch a game on TV – we were hugging on good plays and I was cursing in Serbian on the bad ones."
Denver are second in the Western Conference with a 10-4 record for the season.
Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman believes Aaron Ramsdale “is too good to be a number two” for the Gunners.
Ramsdale started the Community Shield and Arsenal’s first four Premier League games this season, but has been restricted to two appearances in the Carabao Cup since David Raya’s arrival on loan from Brentford.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is expected to restore Ramsdale to the side against Brentford on Saturday as Premier League rules prevent Raya from facing his parent club.
“If Aaron goes in at the weekend, then he’s left out for the next game, then we know who Mikel’s number one is,” Seaman told BBC Radio Five Live.
“It’s not good for Aaron. He’s a top-class goalkeeper, there’s no doubt about that.
“Aaron’s too good to be a number two, that is for sure.”
Seaman believes not playing regularly for Arsenal will affect Ramsdale’s chances of becoming England’s number one ahead of the European Championships, but feels a transfer is not on the cards.
“I think January will be a bit too soon [for a move away],” he added. “It’s the game after this weekend, that’s where we will find a lot of answers.
“From what Mikel was saying when he brought Raya in, when he talked about rotating goalkeepers in games, which I still found a bit bizarre, we’ll have to wait and see after this game.”
Ramsdale’s father recently criticised Arteta for not telling his son why he has been dropped in favour of Raya.
“Aaron’s lost that smile at this moment in time and it is difficult,” Nick Ramsdale told The Highbury Corner podcast. “It really is difficult to see him there and we all keep saying ‘you need to keep smiling’.”
John McConnell’s Mahler Mission will aim to become just the second winner of the Coral Gold Cup trained in Ireland since 1980 when he lines up at Newbury on Saturday week.
When Michael O’Brien’s Bright Highway took the spoils that year it would have been long odds on it taking so long before another from the Emerald Isle was successful.
Willie Mullins’ Be My Royal did cross the line first in 2002 but was subsequently disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance before Mullins eventually won the contest with Total Recall in 2017.
Mahler Mission still held every chance at Cheltenham in the National Hunt Chase when coming down two out and made a pleasing comeback at Carlisle over a distance shy of his best.
“He put in an exhibition of jumping at Carlisle over a trip that was too short for him. He’s a very good jumper and was getting tired when he fell at Cheltenham,” said McConnell.
“Ben (Harvey) will be on him. He knows him and gets on with him. We’re looking forward to going for the Coral with a live chance.
“Ben has grown up with me he started when he was 15. He did so well as a conditional. He has a good clock in his head.
“He’s a big horse with a lovely racing weight (10st 10lb). We were always going to go for one of the big handicap chases. This one is a valuable pot run at a lovely track which offers a fair playing field. Physically he looks as good as he’s ever looked. He’s not pretty, but he’s starting to fill out into his frame now.”
Also at the head of the market is Paul Nicholls’ Complete Unknown who teed himself up for a crack at this when beating Might I at Newton Abbot in October having chased home Gerri Colombe at Aintree in a Grade One last spring.
“Complete Unknown has had a good prep and will be our only runner in the Coral,” said the champion trainer, on hand at Newbury to watch several of his horses go through their paces.
“He’s been trained for the race and the big galloping track will suit him. He’s had a breathing operation which has helped him, and the softer it is the better.”
Nicholls also had an update on one of his big hopes for the season, Hermes Allen, who is going novice chasing.
He said: “Hermes Allen had a setback with a stone bruise and missed three weeks. This day out will have tightened him up a bit and he could possibly run in the John Francome next week.”
Jonjo O’Neill won the race three years ago with Cloth Cap and appears to have another live contender in Monbeg Genuis based on his Cheltenham run.
He finished third behind subsequent Grand National winner Corach Rambler and Punchestown Gold Cup hero Fastorslow but he pulled up at Ascot on his comeback.
“I’m very happy with Monbeg Genius. The plan is to come here and he looks the right type for the race. He’s a good stayer and a strong galloper and everything looks right. If he puts in the performance he did in the Ultima he’s in with every chance,” said O’Neill.
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