Hayley Turner set to captain historic Shergar Cup trio

By Rob Stevens • Published 7 Aug 2012 19:18 0 Comments

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ASCOT Racecourse will host an historical renewal of the Shergar Cup on Saturday when - for the very first time - an all female team take on the best jockeys from Great Britain and Ireland, Europe and the Rest of the World.

Hayley Turner will captain the inaugural girls trio at the Berkshire track that also includes two-time Canadian champion apprentice Emma-Jayne Wilson and Chantal Sutherland - well known in North America for her roles as a model and television personality.

Turner said: "The three of us rode against each other in the Pimlico Female Jockey Challenge in the USA last year and I told Ascot straight afterwards that if there was ever an all girls' team at the Shergar Cup, we'd definitely be keen to take part.

"I'm thrilled that it's going ahead and having been with Chantal in Dubai recently, I can tell you that we're both really up for putting one over on the boys on Saturday and I know Emma-Jayne will be too."

Newmarket-based Turner has already ridden four Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup winners (2007 Relative Order; 2008 Gee Dee Nen; 2009 Noverre To Go and 2010 Yorgunnabelucky) and, in 2008, became the very first female jockey to ride a century of winners in a single season.

Ireland - now amalgamated with Great Britain - will be keen to defend the title they won last year and are represented by captain Kieran Fallon, Johnny Murtagh and James Doyle.

Fallon, 47, is a legend of the weighing room haven ridden no less than 10 Classic winners in Britain alone. Murtagh represents the Emerald Isle while Doyle shot to fame after victory aboard Cityscape in the £2million Dubai Duty Free at Meydan, Dubai in March.

Frankie Dettori will no doubt be the most popular jockey in action as he captains the European trio of three-time German champion rider Andreas Suborics and Cristian Demuro.

Japan's Yutaka Take won the Shergar Cup in 2007 and returns to lead the Rest of the World team that also includes American Aaron Gryder - a winner of over 3,000 races - and Matthew Chadwick.

The jockeys will ride in six Class Two and Three Handicaps to determine the Shergar Cup winners, four of which (2:05-3:50pm) will be shown live on Channel 4.

For ticket and raceday information please visit www.ascot.co.uk.

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