Lucy Turner turns into first feminine jockey to win Aintree Becher Chase

Newbie Nationwide Hunt jockey Lucy Turner, 30, made historical past at Aintree Racecourse, Merseyside, on Saturday (9 December) as the primary feminine jockey to win the BoyleSports Becher Handicap Chase over the world-famous Grand Nationwide fences.

Lucy has labored at Venetia Williams’ Herefordshire stables since she left faculty – her father labored there earlier than her – and she or he triumphed on the yard’s 18/1 shot Chambard, an 11-year-old gelding owned by David and Carol Shaw. The yard favorite usually races together with his tooth out trying like an enormous grin, and this was his fifth win over fences since Lucy took the reins in the beginning of final yr.

Certainly one of Lucy’s profession highlights was successful the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Problem Cup on the Cheltenham Pageant final yr on the identical sensible horse.
Nonetheless, this was their first try at Aintree’s distinctive obstacles collectively and the pair shortly discovered a stupendous rhythm and seemed to be loving the expertise. They lobbed together with the entrance runners for a lot of the 3m2f race, effortlessly clearing the well-known Grand Nationwide jumps together with Becher’s Brook, Foinavon and The Chair.

When the underfoot circumstances, mixed with driving wind and rain, began to take is toll on a lot of the sphere – solely 5 of the 12 starters crossed the road, separated by 137 lengths – Lucy and the son of Gris De Gris took up the working and soared throughout the road some 13 lengths away from their nearest challenger, the Gordon Elliott-trained prime weight Coko Seashore, with Danny Gilligan within the saddle.

Ending third was Percussion for coach Laura Morgan and jockey Harry Reed, whereas the champion jockey Brian Hughes completed fourth on Celebre D’Allen for trainers Philip Hobbs and Johnson White.

Successful the Becher Chase “means the world”

Lucy’s sheer delight at successful the celebrated Becher Chase was clear to see.

“Chambard has been unbelievable for me, and I’m so happy for homeowners David and Carol Shaw, who’ve been nice supporters of mine over the previous few years, so it’s good to get one other huge one for them. He hasn’t jumped these fences earlier than, so we mentioned we’d see how he takes to them, however that was the perfect spin I’ve ever had spherical there and he simply cherished it and saved galloping,” she mentioned.

“As quickly as they got here to him, he quickened once more. I might hear the others coming, however he’d gone once more, and on the final he was like a contemporary horse.

“I’ve at all times wished to trip a winner over these fences, so to do it on him means the world. It was a bit exhausting making an attempt to see coming into the house straight with all of the rain coming down and the headwind, however he was a complete skilled. I feel he surprises individuals; they assume, ‘Can he go and try this?’ however then he exhibits them he can. I believed the way in which he jumped spherical Cheltenham final time, if he jumped like that spherical right here he’d be completely positive, and as quickly as he was over the primary couple I knew he was loving it.”

Cheshire-based proprietor David Shaw mentioned: “We’ve been fortunate sufficient to have just a few winners with Venetia – we thought Cheltenham was the top, however this will get fairly near that. We love having Lucy on board!”

Lucy mentioned she had a second of disbelief, even after crossing the road.

“Within the last furlong you simply need to maintain kicking till you might be over the road, however I had somewhat take a look at the massive display screen and I might see we had been clear,” she mentioned. “After the road, I used to be pondering, ‘Has that truly simply occurred?’”

Lucy described the win as “most likely the perfect day I’ve ever had in racing” and the Randox Grand Nationwide itself may very well be the goal in April.

“Aintree is such a marvellous place, so to have a winner right here is unbelievable,” she mentioned. “April is a great distance away and we’ll take into consideration that when the time comes, however it is a dream.

“If I can encourage somebody from the subsequent era by successful right here as we speak, that’s great.”

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H&H showjumping editor

Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her function as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her world wide reporting from exhibits and interviewing riders, connections and people concerned behind the scenes. Since becoming a member of H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on each topic throughout the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to secure administration — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She additionally has first-hand expertise of working within the equestrian business as a driving teacher and yard supervisor.