Southwell jockey Hayley Turner retires with victory at home track after announcing she’s pregnant
Southwell jockey Hayley Turner has announced her retirement after revealing she is expecting a baby in October.
The news came after 42-year-old Turner fittingly signed off with a victory at Southwell – the same venue where she landed her first winner 25 years earlier.
Turner said: "I have decided to retire from being a jockey following my winner at Southwell last week especially as I had my first ride at the racecourse on March 27, 2000.
"I am very excited to also announce that I am having a baby in October, all being well, which I have been planning for the last two years. My family and I are all very excited.
"I would like to thank everyone that has supported me over the years especially Michael Bell, David Simcock, Andrew Balding and Harry Eustace. I would also like to thank my riding agent Guy Jewell, who has been my agent for the majority of my career.
"I am looking forward to my next life chapter but will be focusing on the baby in the short term.”
Southwell racecourse chief executive Mark Clayton said: “It is so fitting for Hayley to have her last winner here last Wednesday.
“She has been a credit to the sport and we are proud of our association with her. We wish her good luck with her future.”
Turner rode Spirit Of Jura, a 5-1 shot, to victory at Southwell last Wednesday.
It’s been a trailblazing career for Turner, the first female jockey to win a Group 1 outright in Britain with Dream Ahead at the 2011 July Cup at Newmarket. She followed up that success by winning with the Nunthorpe Stakes with Margot Did (2011) and the Beverly D Stakes with I'm A Dreamer (2012).
She was also the first woman to 100 flat winners in Britain in a single calendar year (2008) and had more than 1,000 winners to her name – another record in Britain.
Turner was appointed an OBE in 2016 for services to horse racing.
Since her return to racing she’s enjoyed four winners at Royal Scot with Thanks Be (2019 Sandringham Handicap), Onassis (2020 Sandringham Handicap), Latin Lover (2022 Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap) and Docklands (2023 Britannia Handicap).
