Turner set for Windsor ride en route to big competition in Sweden

Former joint-champion apprentice Hayley Turner is back in the saddle at Windsor on Monday evening in preparation for the Lady Jockeys’ Thoroughbred World Championship at Bro Park, Stockholm, on Tuesday.

More commonly seen in front of the television cameras on ITV and At The Races since retiring in 2015, Turner takes the ride aboard the Michael Bell-trained debutante Flying Sparkle in the opening 5f fillies’ novice median auction stakes at the Berkshire track.

The TV pundit, who made a brief return to race-riding last year and steered Early Morning to victory on Shergar Cup day at Ascot in August, will be joined by Sammy Jo Bell and Ana O’Brien, respectively successful at Chester and the Curragh on Saturday, for the inaugural event in Sweden this week.

Turner, 34, said: “I’ve had some very tempting offers to return to the saddle and resisted most of them, but I had such a great time in Sweden last year at the opening of Bro Park that I jumped at the chance to go back there again.

“Last time I was an ambassador for the visiting team in an international challenge they staged, so it will be very different this year competing against some of the world’s top female jockeys.”

The one-day championship also features New Zealand’s leading female rider Danielle Johnson and Maryline Eon, who recently became the first female rider to contest the Group 1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly when finishing eighth aboard Yellow Storm.

Group 3-winning jockeys Stefanie Hofer, Sara Slot and Fanny Olsson are among the other participants in the championship, which is designed to promote racing in Scandinavia and expand opportunities for professional female riders.

The championship will be decided over five nine-runner races with the rider amassing the most points crowned the winner.

Windsor 6.00 racecard