Hayley makes history as Thanks Be snares historic Sandringham triumph

More than 30 years after Gay Kelleway returned victorious to Royal Ascot's hallowed winner’s enclosure, Hayley Turner became only the second female rider to win at the meeting when landing the Sandringham Stakes on Thanks Be.

The pioneering rider had previously come close to victory at the meeting and finally bridged the gap back to 1987 as the Charlie Fellowes-trained Thanks Be narrowly denied a royal success for runner-up Magnetic Charm.

It was nearly four years ago that Turner announced her retirement from the saddle, after a career that included Group 1 success on Dream Ahead in the 2011 July Cup and Margot Did in the Nunthorpe a month later. She returned to race-riding last year.

She said: “I was always hopeful because Charlie [Fellowes, trainer] was actually quite confident even though she was a big price but we didn’t have a great draw and she was an outsider, so you can only be so confident. I’m in disbelief!”

Hayley Turner: celebrates her Royal Ascot triumph with the ITV Racing teamCredit: Alan Crowhurst

“I was always going to persevere, if it wasn’t this year then I’d have another go next year but it’s great for Charlie as well as it was his first Royal Ascot winner. It’s unbelievable.”

The win was not without drama however, as Turner's winning ride earned her a nine-day suspension and £1,600 fine for using her whip above the permitted level inside the final furlong and a half.

Turner announced a return to the saddle in January of last year and the Victoria Cup and Group 3 Darley Stakes fell her way, but this win felt like a revival and on racing's biggest stage.

"I think Royal Ascot is always difficult because it happens so early on in the season," she added. "By the end of the year I seem to have built up a relationship with my horses and I get better chances towards the second half of the year. I was lucky enough for this filly to have eight stone, so I got the opportunity. Royal Ascot is hard, but it's hard for everybody, not just the girls."

On surpassing the record of Gay Kelleway, who won the Queen Alexandra Stakes with Sprowston Boy in 1987, Turner added: "I’ve had a few places, I was second in the Albany last year and I finished third in one of the handicaps, so I’ve been knocking on the door but fair play to Gay Kelleway, she’s had those bragging rights for a long time!”

“I was hopeful someone [a female rider] would have a winner but I would have liked it to be me, which is was!"

Charlie Fellowes: pats Thanks Be after her Sandringham successCredit: Edward Whitaker

It was also a landmark first victory for trainer Charlie Fellowes, who started training in 2014 and had come so close to big-race victory with Prince Of Arran in the 2018 Melbourne Cup.

Fellowes was left in a frustrated mood following King Ottokar's defeat in the Hampton Court Stakes 24 hours earlier, but relief and pleasure were the overwhelming emotions this time around.

He said: “After yesterday when everything that could have gone wrong went wrong for King Ottokar, I just thought 'what on earth do we have to do on these big days?' – it just went perfectly today.

“Hayley is just a very, very good rider and I’m just so pleased for her. It’s a huge moment.”

Read The Briefing from 8.30am daily on racingpost.com and the Racing Post mobile app with all the day's latest going, weather, market moves and non-runner news