As celebrations for Michelle Payne’s historic Melbourne Cup win continue, Britain’s most successful female rider has ridden in her last race in England.
Hayley Turner announced her retirement at the end of August and on Saturday at Doncaster she weighed out for the final time before running second on second on Buonarotti in the November Handicap.
Just two years older than Payne, the 32-year-old Turner won two Group One races in Britain and one in America.
She anchored the winning “Girls Team” at the annual Shergar Cup at Ascot in early August and Payne has already been invited to compete next year.
Turner has enjoyed something of a farewell tour this week, with victories aboard Yul Finegold at Southwell on Tuesday and Clovelly Bay at Chelmsford on Friday evening ensuring the ground-breaking rider bowed out on top.
“The week couldn’t have gone any better really,” Turner said.
“I had a winner at Southwell, which is obviously close to my heart, and then I had another last night.
“The people have been so nice to me and looked after my family very well.”
Turner bows out with 761 winners to her credit.
She was the joint champion apprentice with Saleem Golam in 2005, the champion female jockey on nine occasions and is also the only British woman to have ridden 100 winners in a season which she did in 2008.
Turner will sign off on her career when she rides in a jockeys’ challenge in South Africa on Friday and Saturday.
She said the daily grind of travelling the length and breadth of the country for rides as one of the main reasons she decided to call it a day.
“You’ve got to want to do it – you need the passion,” she said.
“If you want to get on in the game and do well, you have to be all in. You can’t just pick and choose – unless you’re Frankie Dettori or William Buick, who can get away with it.
“Jockeys at my level have to be full on and that’s why I’m ready to take a step away from it.”
