Hayley Turner ended female jockeys' 14-year drought as she won her first Group 1 with Dream Ahead
Jockey, Alex Greaves, who won a Group 1 race 14 years ago, greeted jockey, Hayley Turner, who made history after winning the Group 1 Darley July Cup with David Simcock’s colt, Dream Ahead, on 10 July, 2011.
Glory was showered at Hayley Turner as she maneuvered Dream Ahead through a packed field of 14 horses to victory in the Darley July Cup.
Dream Ahead has been a lucky horse for Simcock, as he provided the trainer with his first Group 1 win in the Group 1 Darley Prix Morny as a Juvenile at the Deauville race course.
Dream Ahead broke his Group 1 duck at the same race on 22 August, 2010, reported to be the second race of his career, with jockey, William Buick, who has guided the colt to 3 wins out of 5 starts.
William Buick had been the only jockey to ride Dream Ahead until Hayley Turner was summoned to do the honours.
Hayley Turner was very modest in her interviews as she gave all the credit to trainer, David Simcock, and to the owner, Khalifa Dasmal, and said that she only mounted the horse for the first time and cannot take credit for the win.
William Buick who rode the colt on five previous occasions was called back by his premier employer, John Gosden, to ride at York.
Jamie Spencer was in the ranks to ride Dream Ahead in the Darley July Cup, but he too had an assignment in the United States to pair up with Cape Blanco to run in Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park.
All the absentees made way for Hayley Turner and she responded to the call in an emphatic manner, by not only winning, but also becoming the first female jockey to win a British Group 1 race in 14 years.
The most successful jockey in all of Britain had bagged a single Group race prior to the Group 1 Darley July Cup. She was able to land a Group 2 £52,000 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock with Barshiba. Under Barshiba, the pair showed a gritty display of skill and talent.
Trainer David Simcock revealed after the race that the son of Diktat, Dream Ahead is absolutely fine after the race, he ate well and he trotted after the race in fine style, there seems to be no problem with the three-year-old brown colt.
Dream Ahead’s next target could be in France where he will participate in the Prix Maurice de Gheest run at Deauville, where the colt broke his group 1 duck back in 2010.
The win increased Dream Ahead’s Group 1 winning tally to three as the colt over all winnings go up to four out of six starts.
The other two favourites, Star Witness and Delegator weren’t up to the mark on the day, with Delegator finishing fifth and Star Witness 10th.
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