2011

IT is a long, hard road for female jockeys in racing. However, at Newmarket last Saturday, Hayley Turner struck a huge blow for her weigh room colleagues by winning the Group 1 Darley July Cup on Dream Ahead.

It was the first outright success for a woman rider at the highest level, though Alex Greaves dead-heated on Ya Malak in the Nunthorpe 14 years ago.

On a remarkable day in a truly extraordinary season, Miss Turner found everything falling into place as William Buick went to York and Jamie Spencer to America. Dream Ahead’s trainer, David Simcock, had no hesitation in offering her the ride, a decision emphatically endorsed by owner Khalifa Dasmal.

The 28-year-old let no one down, coaxing a strong late burst from Dream Ahead who led inside the final furlong, and held the rallying Bated Breath by half a length, with Hitchens back in third. After the strange decision to race up the far side in the Bunbury Cup, most jockeys wanted to be towards the stands’ rails in the big race, and Libranno was soon showing the way to Elzaam, with Bated Breath close up.

Bated Breath led before the furlong pole and kept on under strong pressure, with Turner still looking for room. Dream Ahead had to be switched left twice before finding the change of gear which settled the issue in relatively few strides.

Hitchens has made steady improvement for David Barron and deserved the minor placing, while Libranno kept on steadily for fourth, and Delegator did well in fifth from stall 17, an unfavourable berth as things turned out.

The disappointment was Australian challenger Star Witness, who started 4/1 favourite but has not shown his best form in this country. He could manage only 10th after running fast to halfway.

Dream Ahead, quite well supported at 7/1, was an outstanding two-year-old, and earned the same rating as Frankel in the international classifications. This baffled many, as Sir Henry Cecil’s colt had run away from him in the Dewhurst, though that race came plenty soon after dazzling victories in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes.

Dream Ahead again finished fifth behind Frankel in the St James’s Palace Stakes where he did not stay, and was returning after a stop-start preparation. A great deal of credit must go to his up-and-coming trainer, who worked first under Ian Balding, then the late Major Dick Hern, and finally Luca Cumani.

“He did not surprise me today, and I’m more relieved than anything,” Simcock said. “It’s great for Hayley to win a Group 1, but Vettel wouldn’t win round Monaco in a Mini, would he? The majority of the time it’s about the horse, not the jockey, and this is all about Dream Ahead. I’m pleased he enhanced last year’s reputation.”

These were sensible words from the Newmarket-based handler, as the press crowded around Miss Turner, anxious to make her the story, no matter what. Thankfully she is level-headed enough to deal with situations like these, though she had every right to be delighted.

“I’m so thrilled, and this was on my list of things to do,” she smiled. “I know a lot of trainers were moaning about all the big meetings on one day, but it’s something that played into my hands. All the jockeys were taken, so they got left with me!”

It is 11 years since Turner rode her first winner. She made history as the first woman to ride 100 winners in a year in Britain, though her only previous pattern success came on Barshiba in the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks. Saturday was a wonderful day for her and racing, though the point should be made that Cathy Gannon has ensured she is not flying the flag alone.

The form itself looks very smart indeed, a point heavily underscored when Roger Charlton described Bated Breath as the best sprinter he has ever trained.

[This was the only time Dream Ahead was partnered by anyone other than William Buick in the colt’s nine-race career. He won six times, later in 2011 adding the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock and the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp. He went to stud at Ballylinch Stud the following spring, having been crowned champion sprinter in Europe and winning a coveted Cartier Award.

At stud he is sire of four Group 1 winners in Dream Of Dreams, Glass Slippers, Donjuan Triumphant and Al Wukair. Dream Ahead stood this year at Haras de Grandchamp for €12,000]

Protest and protest at Down Royal

1981

THE most amazing happening at an Irish race meeting occurred at Down Royal on Thursday.

It all began in the opening Gate Handicap Hurdle when Adirondack (20/1), trained by Frank Stewart and owned by Cahil Fergus, beat the (5/1 to 6/4) favourite Tilbury, trained by Peter Russell and also owned by Fergus. Adirondack’s jockey, Gerry McEnhill, on entering the weigh room, proceeded to make his way to the jockeys’ room, without weighing in.

Following a brief inquiry, the stewards disqualified Adirondack, placing him last, and awarded the race to the runner-up, Tilbury. The bookmakers, believing they were smelling a rat as both horses were owned by Mr Fergus, refused to pay out, and then stormed the secretary’s office in annoyance.

After a considerable amount of arguing, the bookmakers came to the decision that they would pay out on the race, but were withdrawing their services for the rest of the afternoon. After all that, the paying customers were becoming a little uneasy.

Let’s be honest, it’s not much fun at a race meeting if you can’t have a bet, and with no Tote in operation that was the situation. So the secretary’s office was besieged once again by patrons, demanding their money back.

This request was turned down, causing some members of the public to decide that, if there were no bookmakers and no money back, there would be no racing. Fifty or so of them then lined across the track and held up the fifth race for about 10 minutes.

The police were then called in and the crowd was quickly dispersed under protest. Soon after the announcement was made that all patrons would get free admission to the next Down Royal meeting.

Friday’s meeting was then abandoned because chief sponsor, bookmaker Barney Eastwood, withdrew his money. In any case, the bookmakers took the decision that they would not stand up, in protest, by a 28-20 margin.