Hayley Turner Wins Beverly D Stakes on I’m A Dreamer

Dream Performance - I'm A Dreamer and Hayley Turner winning the Beverly D last night

Hayley Turner became the first female jockey to land the G1 $750,000 Beverly D Stakes last night as she partnered David Simcock’s I’m A Dreamer to victory in the sister race to the Arlington Million.

Turner made history last season by landing not one but two Group 1 races over the summer and she’s at it again this year, proving herself to be one of the top jockeys in the world and boosting her international reputation in the process; given how important she is to the sport off the track that can only be a good thing.

Turner had I’m A Dreamer in mid-field for most of the 1m1½f race before sending her to the front on the home turn, I’m A Dreamer battled on well to hold of the late thrust of Marketing Mix to record the historic win. Joviality, another British raider, was third for William Buick and John Gosden.

Later on the Chicago card a strong European raiding party were wired by a domestic horse as Little Mike made all to take home the feature race. Luca Cumani’s Afsare was second while Colombian for Buick and Gosden again dead-heated for third.

Earlier on the card Jakkalberry won the inaugural running of the American St. Leger for Marco Botti with Colm O’Donoghue on board and French raider Bayrir took the Secretariat Stakes under Christophe Lemaire.

Last night also saw a little bit of history made as Lingfield’s feature – reduced to a match after a non-runner – ended in a dead-heat between Godolphin’s Snowboarder (Frankie Dettori) and Mick Channon’s Ayaar (Martin Harley), surely the first time a match has produced a dead-heat.

All this after another top Saturday of domestic action, which included Melbourne Cup favourite Mount Athos cementing himself at the head of that market with a runaway win in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury.

Poor jockey judgement from the likes of Ryan Moore led to a huge upset in the Hungerford Stakes on the same card as Clive Cox’s 25/1 outsider Lethal Force was given too much rope at the front and hung on to win by a neck from the fast-finishing Strong Suit under Moore. Strong Suit at least looked close to being back to his best but it was a result that never should’ve been allowed to happen.

Up at Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse Ripon meanwhile, Pepper Lane notched back to back wins in the Great St. Wilfrid holding off the veteran Tax Free to win at 20/1.