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Hayley set for big Saturday test

The Englishwoman, 29, climbs aboard Margot Did for the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan on Saturday evening prior to 36-year-old Sutherland’s bow on Game On Dude in the night’s feature race, the star-studded DWC itself.

For Turner, merely being here at this time of year is a highly enjoyable experience, with Sutherland’s company an added boost both to her on a social level and female riders worldwide on a professional one.

“I’m really excited,” the Newmarket-based jockey enthused. “I’m usually at home watching it and I’m just thrilled to be a part of it and – obviously – it’s nice to be the first girl (riding in a thoroughbred race at the DWC), but it’s good that Chantal is here as well.

“She deserves a lot of credit and she’s riding in the big race, so it’s a bit of a breakthrough again for the girls.

“It’s a first, so people are going to make a big deal about it, but there has to be a first for everything and then, next year, if there are few more girls, it won’t be a big deal.

“Part of my career has been having these breakthroughs and it’s been nice to be able to do it.

“It’s nice now that it’s normal as well; people can accept me as a jockey, rather than a girl riding well.”

“Before last year (when Turner won two Group One races), I always tried to play it (her gender) down and it’s no big deal and, now, people can say that it’s doable.”

Turner – like Sutherland – has presumably become accustomed to being the sole female face at many meetings across the racing calendar and their joint appearance here at least allows for some companionship in otherwise empty female facilities.

“It will be nice to have here in the weighing room because I was here a couple of weeks ago and it’s amazing,” Turner explained.

“We’ve got saunas, massive showers, loads of room and a plasma telly and then there’s just me, so it will be nice to have someone to share it with.”

Together though, they carry the burden of expectancy of an entire sex looking to break into the industry, not that Turner seems remotely perturbed, insisting “pressure is for tyres,” before adding: “I always like a challenge. I’ll just take it as it comes and enjoy it.”

Turner also expects Sutherland to produce the goods when it matters, even if the eventual outcome – as for any jockey – may be out of her hands.

“She’s going to perform well,” the 2011 Nunthorpe Stakes winner at York added. “It’s more a question of how the horse is going to perform.

“The horse is the one with the ability and the most difficult task for us (girls) is getting on the horses with the ability and then it gets easier from there.”

alex@khaleejtimes.com