At Ascot on Saturday, Rachel Venniker tied on 35 points with Hayley Turner for the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle award, with Turner securing the prized trophy based on her two winners to Rachel’s one.
New Image (10/3f) led home a sensational one-two for the Ladies in the concluding Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile to propel Hayley Turner’s team to Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup glory.
A delighted Hayley Turner returns on New Image (Pic – Megan Coggin)
The Turner-ridden New Image needed every yard of the Round Mile to deny Yantarni and Joanna Mason in the final stride, with Rest of the World’s Rachel Venniker taking third on Carrytheone.
Turner and Mason’s 25pt haul for the Ladies meant they jumped from last to first place in the standings to retain the title. Turner also secured the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle for the third time in her career.
Turner said: “New Image settled well once I got in behind Joanna and he stayed really well, which was the question today. He is obviously a nice, progressive horse and I think he’d have been an unlucky loser as he got carried across the track.”
On being told she had won the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle, Turner said: “That’s great. I think it helps that the trainers don’t get to choose if I ride their horses or not. I do end up with better rides than what I’d usually get, and it just goes to show it’s the animals that get you there and not just the jockeys. All my family are here – there will be a big celebration tonight.”
Yantarni’s rider Joanna Mason said: “Coming into the day, I thought I had some good each-way chances. My first three didn’t really play out. I have ended up having to take the lead there, really, when I was probably wanting to sit on the girths of something, but we’ve been able to dictate it and we’ve nearly stolen it from the front. He probably hasn’t helped himself lugging; I was trying to keep him going forward and keep him balanced on that front and just got pipped at the post. But I’ve absolutely loved it – I loved it two years ago when I got the call-up and loved it again today. It’s a brilliant raceday, and I get to ride for trainers I wouldn’t normally get to ride for. I think it looks like we’ve won the overall title, so I’m really happy.”
Rachel Venniker said of Carrytheone: “He ran a cracker. He takes quite a tug so I had to just settle him in and he quickened up really well. I am not used to riding at 10st, the saddle is quite heavy! It is disappointing just to be pipped by Hayley but it has been fantastic. I have had a winner, a second and a third. I can’t complain. It has been a very good day and been above and beyond my expectations.”
Final team standings
- LADIES 71
- EUR 60
- ROW 58
- GBI 55
Final Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle standings
- Hayley Turner LADIES 35
- Rachel Venniker ROW 35
- Billy Loughnane GBI 28
- Jose-Luis Borrego EUR 28
- Marie Velon LADIES 22
- Alberto Sanna EUR 17
- Seamie Heffernan GBI 15
- Bauyrzhan Murzabayev EUR 15
- Rachel King ROW 15
- Joanna Mason LADIES 14
- Tadhg O’Shea GBI 12
- Nanako Fujita ROW 8
