Rachel Venniker draped in the South African flag after winning the opening race at the Shergar Cup on Holkham Bay. Photo: Megan Coggin
Hayley Turner takes Silver Saddle for third time but only after a countback as an inspired Rachel Venniker puts in a world class performance
Thrilling finale saw Turner denying Venniker a famous achievement by the bob of a head
With Rachel Venniker winning the opening Dash on Holkham Bay, four of the six winners in the Shergar Cup at Ascot on Saturday were partnered by either the Ladies Team or the all-women Rest Of The World team.
“This is a beautiful track to ride on, and to ride the first winner is more than I could have hoped for,” commented Venniker;
“I am so proud I’ve won a race here. What a remarkable feeling. So fantastic to have everyone here I know and spring up a winner; I’m over the moon. It is nice to make South Africa proud and the boss [Michael Roberts] proud.”
In February Venniker rode in a Jockeys Challenge in Saudi Arabia, winning the US$400 000 Invest Saudi International Jockeys Challenge Stakes, so it the second time she has gone overseas and the second time she has made South Africa proud.
That is in addition to two apprentice championships in South Africa, the milestone achievements of over 100 wins in the 2022/2023 season, riding in SA’s greatest race, the Hollywoodbets Durban July, riding a third place finish in Cape Town’s greatest race, the WSB Met, and winning a triple crown race, the Gr 2 WSB Gauteng Guineas.
On Saturday she came within a headbob of landing the Silver Saddle, an award which boasts such big names as Frankie Dettori, Pat Eddery, Kieren Fallon, Hugh Bowman, Gerald Mosse, Richard Hughes, Jamie Spencer, Emma-Jane Wilson, Silvestre De Souza andf Hayley Turner.
After a win in the first leg followed by a sixth, a fifth and a second, Rachel led the points standings for the Silver Saddle going into the last race.
She sat in last place on the Michael Bell-trained 4/1 shot Carrytheone in the one mile event, before extracting a scything run to move into a clear third place.
It looked as if she had done enough to win the Silver Saddle, because Hayley Turner looked booked for second place on the 100/30 favourite New Image as Joanna Mason on the pacemaker Yantardi was still going well in front.
However, Turner extracted a late lunge from New Image and the Frankel gelding got up on the headbob.
That meant Hayley Turner had claimed the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle for a third time.
Both jockeys ended the competition with 35 points, but Turner’s two winners on the day to Rachel’s one saw the captain of the Ladies team receive the leading jockey award on a countback, adding to her successes in 2018 and 2019.
Thoroughbred Racing Commentary wrote about Turner’s affinity with the Shergar Cup:
The most successful jockey in the history of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup has now ridden 11 winners at the meeting, three more than her nearest rival, and amassed 357 points during her 17 appearances.
“It’s so nice,” said Turner. “I’ve got three Silver Saddles now and Alistair Haggis was a big inspiration for getting the girls involved in the Shergar Cup, so it means a lot.
“Alistair Haggis was actually the reason that the girls started on the Shergar Cup teams,” she went on. “When I started there were two teams and Alistair suggested that each team had a girl, so Emma-Jayne [Wilson] represented the Rest of the World and I represented Great Britain and Ireland.”
“Since then, it has just snowballed. Obviously, Alistair is not with us now, but he played a key part in all the Shergar Cup victories I’ve had.”
“It’s always such a fun event,” added Turner, who also won the Stayers’ on Ranch Hand.
“It’s great as everyone gets involved and it’s a really light, fun atmosphere. It’s great and something a bit different. The team was so much fun. I really enjoyed their company and everyone rode so well. We’ve got wristbands for the concert as well – I probably won’t be getting home early tonight!”
New Image needed every yard of the Round Mile to deny Yantarni and Joanna Mason in the final stride, with Rest of the World’s Rachel Venniker taking third on Carrytheone.
The one-two was enough for the Ladies team to score for the fifth time since an all-female team was introduced in 2012.
“It’s brilliant to be part of the winning team,” said Mason.
“Obviously Hayley has had a fantastic day, riding two winners. It’s something a bit different, but the girls have come out on top and have actually won a lot of the races today, which just shows that stereotypes are going out the window and women jockeys are coming to the fore.”
“It’s a brilliant day, and nice to be in a team and have such good camaraderie.”
Marie Velon, who also represented the Ladies, said: “It’s such an honour to be here on the Ladies team and I’m so happy that we have won again. It’s wonderful for me.”
This year’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup was the first to feature an all-female Rest of the World team, in addition to the Ladies team, and women jockeys rode a record-equalling four wins on the card, matching 2023’s total.
Rachel King, who captained the Rest of the World, received the Ride of the Day Award for her win on the Alan King-trained Insanity in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge.
King said: “It’s been a good, fun day and definitely a different kind of atmosphere. It’s been really good to compete and to get a winner made it even better as well.
“It was good to team up with Alan King, who is obviously my old boss from a few years ago, and he and the owners gave me a good bit of confidence before the race. It panned out perfectly, really. They did go pretty quick early, which probably suited my horse, and he had to be a little bit tough late. He probably doesn’t find a huge amount off the bridle, but he stuck his nose out when it counted.”
Also on the mark were young tyro Billy Loughnane, who took the Sprint on potential Pattern-class performer Jarraaf, and multiple German champ Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, who won the Classic on 12-1 shot Going Remote.
“Winning at Ascot is very special for me,” said the Kazakh. “Royal Ascot is a very special meeting. l like English racing and I follow it. It is one of my favourites. I have not ridden here much and for me it is very sweet.”
Michael Roberts spoke after the event about his pride in his stable jockey Venniker.
He said, “”Ascot is not an easy track, but Rachel rode it like a pro. She carried all the advice out to perfection and she made us all proud today. She also received some very nice accolades from my friends in the UK.”
Roberts was an eleven-time SA champion jockey and in 1992 became only the sixth non-British or Irish jockey to land the UK Flat Racing championship, so he is obviously a good one to consult about the ins and outs of riding Ascot.
