Hayley on 998.....

by Chris Cook this morning in the Front Runner, Racing Post :

The racing world was alerted to an imminent landmark last week when Hayley Turner tweeted a picture of herself, being led in aboard a winner she'd just ridden at Chelmsford. Above it, she wrote: "998!"

Yes, the jockey who blazed a trail for other women in British Flat racing is close to her thousandth success. The timing looked uncanny because Turner's next two rides were both fancied, one at Redcar on Friday and then Docklands in the Balmoral Handicap which closes Champions Day - what a way to do it!

"That would have been nice," says Turner, a shade wistfully. "That was the dream." She has an alternative in mind, as we'll find out, but the odds also seem against it.

First, I wanted to check her maths because her many winners in Britain over the past 23 years add up to 976. There's also been a winner in Ireland, Arthurian Fame in the Microsoft Cup at Leopardstown a few years ago.

As it turns out, Turner has enjoyed quite a bit of overseas success over the years. "I've got 21 abroad," she says and tries to reel off all the countries where she's ridden winners. "France, Italy, Germany, Mauritius, South Africa, America, Japan. I think that's it..."

The one of those I remember clearly would be I'm A Dreamer, who finished strongly to win the Beverly D, a Grade 1, at Arlington Park, Chicago back in 2012.

That means Turner is now one of those athletes whose career has outlived a venue where they enjoyed major success. Arlington staged its final race in 2021 and was bought by the Chicago Bears. Demolition of the grandstand was completed last month.

Setting aside such sad thoughts, I ask which of her overseas jaunts was the most fun. "South Africa," she says, "because that tied in with a holiday they put on for jockeys that's always been quite good fun. America was the highlight, of course."

When you reach a major milestone, it's natural to look back and reflect on the journey. So much has changed for jockeys since Turner started out, and in particular for female jockeys. Her success has opened up many eyes to possibilities they had not previously considered.

"It's nice to see how well the girls are doing," she says. "The standard of female riders these days is so much better. You look at the likes of Hollie and Saffie and it makes me quite proud to see how much easier it's getting for them all and how much more respect they get.

"I always remember my first winner without my claim, that was one of the most satisfying. I thought, 'Oh my word, I could actually do this for a living.'

"I never expected to do as well as I have done. I didn't even dream of it, really."

These days, she notes, booking a female jockey to compete against men is an unremarkable act. Older fans of the game will readily remember a time when this was not the case.

"It was always an issue. Michael Bell had to battle with the owners. He put me forward. And then, when I got the chance, I took it."

With the full benefit of hindsight, Turner reckons she "probably shouldn't have retired" at the end of 2015. "I just needed a year out at the time."

After a bit of broadcasting, she returned to the saddle full-time in 2018 and has since ridden four winners at Royal Ascot. The first of those ended a barren run of 32 years for female jockeys at the royal meeting but Hollie Doyle and Laura Pearson have since had their own moments there, helping to normalise what had once been unusual.

Does she have an idea of when she might once more call time on her career? That question gets kicked into the long grass where it belongs. Turner's career is evidently fruitful, enjoyable and sustainable.

"I'm still paying my mortgage, I'm enjoying it, I'm doing okay. You look at the likes of Joe Fanning, Franny Norton, Rab Havlin, Rab's riding better than ever and he's ten years older.

"We're quite lucky as athletes that we can continue to a certain age, whereas footballers only have very short careers." We discuss the support made available to riders through the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Professional Jockeys Association which makes the job so much more attractive these days.

"It's less lonely, you're getting looked after a lot. It's amazing to see how far it's come since I started."

She is a key part of the operation at Harry Eustace's stable, for whom she rode Docklands to win the Britannia at Royal Ascot four months ago. "It's a really fun yard to be involved in.

"I think that's what I always enjoyed about being at Michael Bell's, being in the team. I'd ride out from the yard and get on really well with the staff and you know the horses better.

"I ride out for David Simcock as well. He's been a big supporter of mine from day one."

Simcock will be her ally today as Turner seeks to get her 999th win, on Pourquoi in a 1m3½f handicap at Yarmouth. And then ... who knows? Does she have in her mind any ideal plan for how she would reach 1,000?

"I'd have liked it to be at Southwell, just because my first ride was there and obviously it's my home town. I know it's not the most glamorous, people would think Ascot would be ideal, but I just think it would be a nice story.

"Especially because my nana used to go there all the time to watch me. We've got a bench at Southwell which says: 'In memory of Nana Bunny, Hayley Turner's biggest fan'. It's a really popular bench, right by the paddock where she used to stand."

But the timing of last week's storm was unfortunate. Southwell is still flooded. Its next four fixtures, up to and including November 4, have been abandoned and I wouldn't bet on the November 15 fixture taking place either, though we can cross our fingers and wish everyone well as they try to restore order.

The next time Turner rides there, I expect she'll be comfortably into four-figures.