Hayley Turner stole the show at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup for the second year in succession as two winners and a second helped her defend her title as the leading rider at the popular meeting.
A year ago the multiple Group One-winning jockey led the Girls Team to win the Shergar Cup itself and beat Brazilian ace Joao Moreira by one point to claim the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle.
Twelve months on, the Girls had to settle for minor honours in the overall competition as the Rest Of The World Team emerged triumphant with 86 points, ahead of Team Europe and the Girls on 63 and Great Britain and Ireland on 28.
Turner still managed to become the first jockey in Shergar Cup history to claim the Silver Saddle in successive years with 40 points, five clear of Australian Mark Zahra on 35.
Trainer Mark Johnston found himself on the Ascot winners’ podium after Sapa Inca’s victory in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic, his Galileo filly justifying 4/1 favouritism.
She came with a late run under Hayley Turner for The Girls to win by a going-away three-quarters of a length.
“My other two runners here today could never land a blow, they were out of their comfort zone the whole way, but Sapa Inca has done this well,” said Johnston.
“Hayley said that she’d conflicting advice from Franny Norton and Silvestre de Sousa, previous riders of the horse – Franny has said that she could be keen. But there was such pace on today she never got a chance to be keen!”
The Girls captain Hayley Turner recorded a 36.5/1 double Cup following the success of 4/1 favourite Sapa Inca.
Turner was successful earlier today aboard 13/2 shot Eddystone Rock in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers
Trainer Mark Johnston – saddled Sapa Inca
“This is great, isn’t it? Sapa Inca did it really well. They went very hard and the gaps just opened for me.I managed to get her in touch without having to ask her to do too much and, like a typical Mark Johnston horse, she just grinded it out.”
Turner’s father Richard was delighted to see his daughter record another success at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. He said: “It’s fantastic. We love this meeting and it is great to be here to watch Hayley win two races.
“It is an event we always look forward to and it’s lovely to see Hayley be a part of it.”
