Tuesday, 21st of November 2023 marked a momentous moment in the horse racing career of one of the sport’s most popular and inspirational riders, as Hayley Turner registered a landmark 1,000th career victory.
On the cusp of moving into four figures ever since partnering Tradesman to victory at Chelmsford on the 19th of October, Hayley must have been wondering when the magical moment would finally arrive. 33 days and 26 losing rides had passed, as members of the Turner clan followed Hayley around the country in readiness for the 1,000th-win celebrations to begin. In the end, Hayley had to rely on the same horse who brought up win number 999, as the David Simcock-trained Tradesman comfortably saw off his rivals in the Illuminate Christmas Ball Handicap at Chelmsford.
999 wins…. Nearly there! pic.twitter.com/Tp2Yx4XDem
— Hayley Turner (@Hayleyturner123) November 4, 2023
Hayley becomes the first European female rider to enter the 1,000 Club, but that is just one of many impressive records the 40-year-old Nottinghamshire-born star has achieved during a remarkable career.
Riding in the Blood
Born two miles from Nottingham Racecourse on the 3rd of January 1983, Hayley is one of six daughters to Richard and Kate Turner. With her mother plying her trade as a riding instructor, it wasn’t long before Hayley found herself in the saddle, quickly proving to be a natural horsewoman.
Taking her first steps towards a career in the industry when riding out for local trainer Mark Polglase, Hayley completed a course at the Northern Racing School before joining Michael Bell as an apprentice in 2000.
A Tragic Start, but Things Soon Looking Up
It’s fair to say things couldn’t have started much worse for Hayley on her racecourse debut. Booked to ride the Declan Carroll runner, Markellis, her mount made it no further than halfway in a two-mile event at Southwell, before sadly breaking a leg.
A desperate end for poor Markellis, but Hayley soon bounced back – bagging a first career success aboard Generate in a Class 6 Apprentice Handicap at Pontefract on the 4th of June 2000, on only her eighth career ride.
Continuing to rack up experience and wins, by 2005 Turner was riding out her claim, becoming only the fourth female rider to do so. Ending that 2005 season with 44 winners, the up-and-coming jockey finished in a tie with Saleem Golam for the Champion Apprentice title. Next stop, the professional ranks.
Group 1 Success
Picking up 36 wins in 2006 and 56 in 2007, Hayley exploded into the limelight during a spectacular 2008, which saw her become the first British female rider to pick up 100 wins in a calendar year. Highlights in that tally included major handicaps at Chester, Ascot, and Doncaster, but it wouldn’t be long before Hayley was making her presence felt on the Group race stage.
No sooner had the 2008 British turf flat season ended than Turner picked up a first Group 3 victory aboard Lady Deauville in the Lando-Trophy at Hanover in Germany. Group 2 success was ticked off the list when partnering Barshiba to glory in the 2010 Lancashire Oaks, before a golden six-week period in 2011.
11 years after her racecourse debut, a first Group 1 success arrived, as Turner and Dream Ahead claimed a thrilling edition of the July Cup for long-time ally David Simcock and owner Khalifa Sasmal. A second top-level success was far quicker in coming, as a little over a month later, Margot Did responded to a strong Turner drive to claim the Nunthorpe Stakes at York, for another of the rider’s biggest supporters, Michael Bell.
Hayley Around the World
Turner may be the first British female rider to claim 1,000 wins, but those successes didn’t all come on these shores. Gaining early international experience when spending the winter of 2004 out in Dubai with Godolphin, 21 of Turner’s winners have been spread across France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mauritius, South Africa and the USA.
2012 was a big year for Hayley on the International scene, as she entered the record books on two occasions. Firstly, as the first female jockey to ride on Dubai World Cup night, and secondly, when becoming the first UK-based woman to ride an International Grade 1 winner, when steering I’m A Dreamer to victory in the Beverly D Stakes at Arlington Park, USA.
Overcoming Adversity
Like many jockeys, Hayley’s route to the top hasn’t been without incident. Whilst emerging unscathed from that ill-fated debut, she hasn’t always been so lucky, with the following included in her injury collection:
- 2009 – Suffers a serious head injury on the gallops.
- 2011 – Breaks ankle in a fall at Bath.
- 2012 – Breaks ankle and pelvis and damages vertebrae in another fall at Doncaster.
Whilst always bouncing back from her injuries, they may have played a role in her decision to retire from the sport in 2015. Becoming a familiar face on At The Races and ITV Racing, Hayley couldn’t keep away for long – returning to ride in France and at the Shergar Cup meeting in 2016. By 2018, she was back in the full-time swing and soon back in the big time, landing a first Royal Ascot success aboard 33/1 shot Thanks Be in the 2019 Sandringham Stakes. Fast forward to 2020, and she was at it again, winning the same race aboard another 33/1 chance, Onassis.
Bringing More Women into the Sport
In addition to her individual accolades, Hayley Turner is widely recognised as one of the true trailblazers of the sport. Female riders are becoming an increasingly familiar sight in 2023, but that certainly wasn’t the case in 2000 when Turner set foot into a male-dominated environment. The likes of Hollie Doyle, Saffie Osborne, Nicola Currie, and Josephine Gordon have no doubt drawn inspiration from the efforts and talent of the diminutive Nottinghamshire lass.
Further Honours and Achievements
- 2008 – Crowned Channel 4’s Racing Personality of the Year.
- 2011 – Wins the Most Inspirational Sportswoman Award at the Jaguar Academy of Sport Annual Awards.
- 2016 – Awarded the OBE for services to horseracing in the Birthday Honours List.
- 2018 and 2019 – Wins the Silver Saddle Award for most winners at the Shergar Cup. With 16 appearances for the female team, Turner has ridden at this meeting more than any other jockey.
