Review of the action from the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot
A review of the action from the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup where Hayler Turner won the Silver Saddle and the Girls landed the team prize.
Girls on top at Ascot
Hayley Turner and the Girls team took the honours in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot.
Turner, making a record 12th appearance in the annual team competition, saw off the late challenge of Hong Kong-based Brazilian ace Joao Moreira to win the Silver Saddle as top rider by one point, 39-38.
The Girls, comprising Turner, Hollie Doyle and their captain Josephine Gordon, landed the team prize with a points total of 76, with the European team second on 70.
Turner said: "I can't believe it. The best thing is my whole family are here "I've been coming to the Shergar Cup for 12 years now and it is a very special day. The progression of female jockeys is something that is really being pushed and discussed, and this is a fine example of how well girls can do in racing.
"Winning the Silver Saddle, named after the late Alistair Haggis - he was the one who got me on the team 12 years ago and really pushed me, so I think he is up there looking down on me. This is my favourite day of the year."
Gordon echoed those thoughts, saying: "It's brilliant to compete against the best jockeys in the world. Today's been really good fun and it's one of the best days of the year. We've thoroughly enjoyed our day and it's great to win."
The contest came down to the very last race where Joao Moreira completed a double on Green Power (12-1) in the Sprint.
However, Turned claimed second place on Roundhay Park seal the individual and team prizes.
Moreira showed why he is revered in the Far East as he brought the John Gallagher-trained colt to lead inside the final furlong and see off all challengers.
Roundhay Park kept on stoutly to score by a neck with George Of Hearts a neck away in third.
Moreira said: "It couldn't be any better. I'm extremely happy. I have to say congratulations to the girls. They did an amazing job and they deserved that." I'm extremely happy to have two winners on the day."
Turner took the Silver Saddle by one point from Moreira, 39-38, while the Girls team scored a total of 76 points, six more than Europe in second.
Magic treble for Balding
Berkshire Blue was a third winner on the card for the Andrew Balding stable to give Moreira his first victory in the Shergar Cup Classic Handicap.
The well-backed 9-2 chance just held the late bid of Blue Laureate by a head with Bayshore Freeway two lengths away in third.
Moreira said: "I thought I had won as my horse had the momentum, but I knew it was very tight. I am very pleased. In the straight he was running around. I was having such a hard time to keep him straight. I think he'd have won easier if he had kept in a straight line, but in the end he won the race."
Balding said: "It was an excellent ride. He didn't have a great pitch in stall 11, but he saved ground at the vital stages and produced him a good run."
Golden Mile for Turner
Hayley Turner got on the scoreboard with a cosy win on Via Serendipity in the Mile.
Making a record 12th appearance at the meeting, Turner always had the Stuart Williams-trained four-year-old close to the pace set by Poet's Society.
Turner got first run on her rivals by kicking on a furlong out and kept Via Serendipity up to his work to get the verdict by half a length from Shady McCoy. The jockey said: "It's just a buzz of a day and this horse has done it so well."
Double delight for Balding
Earlier Balding completed a quick double when Genetics won virtually unchallenged under German rider Andreas Starke in the Shergar Cup Challenge Handicap.
Coming into the race as a reserve, Genetics (9-1) stormed past long-time leader Humble Hero in the straight to win by 12 lengths. Twin Star was second with Maori Bob a further half a length back in third.
Starke said: "I am very delighted to get a reserve horse like that. I had a perfect race and he was travelling nicely. In the home straight he kept going, I didn't know he'd won that easy."
Shergar Cup first for Graberg
Cleone (9-2) gave unheralded Per-Anders Graberg his first victory in the competition when taking the Stayers Handicap.
Sweeden's champion jockey took the lead in the final furlong on the Andrew Balding-trained gelding, but was all out to land the spoils by three-quarters of a length from Stars Of The Sea, ridden by Gerald Mosse, to give the European team a one-two. The Turner-ridden Byron Flyer was the same distance away in third.
Graberg said: "It's great to be riding here and even better to have a winner, fantastic. He was always travelling easily. He quickened very good when I asked him, but when he hit the front it seemed like he got a little bit lazy and doesn't do more than he had to."
Marvellous win for Doyle
Hollie Doyle landed her first Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup success when steering Tis Marvellous to victory in the Dash at Ascot.
The 21-year-old gave the girls' team a flying start as she delivered the Clive Cox-trained sprinter with a well-timed challenge in the final furlong, after El Astronaute and Watchable had set the early pace.
While that pair could not keep up the gallop at the business end of the five furlongs, Tis Marvellous (6-1) came with a rattling run to score by a length and a quarter from from Gracious John, with Doyle's teammate Hayley Turner third on Line Of Reason.
Doyle said: "It's a massive deal for me to get the call-up (to ride at the Shergar Cup), let alone have a winner."
Cox said: "We did expect a big run last week (in the Stewards' Cup at Godwoood), but it was the extreme temperature. He didn't take on a lot of fluids.
"He was fifth in the Commonwealth Cup last year. He's a high-class performer and he's basically in a lower-grade race than he has been."