Epsom Downs Racecourse has announced that talented jockey and sporting pin-up, Hayley Turner is to be the ‘Face of the 2009 Derby Festival’. Hayley is celebrating the amazing achievement of becoming the first woman in Europe to ride 100 winners in a calendar year.
Hayley, 25, who became a professional jockey three years ago is widely respected in the world of racing with her abilities as a jockey admired by her weighing room associates, owners, trainers and the media alike.
Face of the Derby Festival, Hayley Turner commented, “2008 has been a very exciting year for me both on and off the track. I am so delighted that I have achieved what some might have thought the impossible years ago. I also know I will have a very exciting year ahead; being asked to be the Face of the Festival at Epsom was a huge shock and honour. I was surprised that I enjoyed taking part in the first photo shoot and can’t wait for the two day Festival in June.”
The ‘Face of the Festival’ has proved a successful initiative in promoting the Derby Festival with Catherine Dettori (2008), Claire Dwyer (2007) and Francesca Cumani (2006) filling the role in previous years. As the ‘Face of the Festival’, Hayley will become an ambassador for the two day Derby Festival with a range of interviews, photo shoots and appearances in the lead up to the Festival.
Hayley started 2008 hoping to land 70 winners but, as well as captaining the Great Britain team at the Shergar Cup at Ascot in the summer, being one of four nominees for the Flat Jockey of the Year title at the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association Derby Awards, the first woman rider to have made the shortlist, Hayley has proved that she can more than hold her own against her male jockey counterparts on a level playing field having become the first female in Europe to ride 100 winners in a calendar year. She was also recently voted as 2008 Channel 4 Racing Personality of the Year with 67% majority of the votes.
The Derby Festival, Friday 5 and Saturday 6 June 2009, is one of the most famous and iconic events in both the sporting and social calendars. The first day of this prestigious Festival, Ladies Day conjures up images of style, sophistication and socialising and features the popular Style on the Downs competition. Saturday hosts the world famous Derby, dating back to 1780. Over 100,000 people flock to Epsom to celebrate in carnival style the greatest and most challenging flat races as horses and jockeys are tested over the undulating mile and a half Derby course.
Read more about Hayley HERE
