Lester Piggott, who announced his retirement from riding in 1995, competed in the Epsom Derby thirty-six times and partnered an unprecedented nine Derby victories the first being in 1954 and the last in 1983. He rode in the Classic in five decades, with his last race in 1994 at the age of 58. However, an interesting question that racegoers often ask is, has a female jockey ever won the Epsom Derby?
Has a Lady Jockey Ever Won the Epsom Derby – The short answer is No. In 1996, Alex Greaves, riding Portuguese Lil, defied 216 years of tradition to become the Epsom Derby’s first female rider.
Hayley Turner rode Cavaleiro 16 years later, in a historic season for her in which she rode 92 victories. Unfortunately, both ladies finished in last place on their mounts in their respective years in which they rode in the Derby.
The Epsom Derby – The Race and the Racecourse
The Derby Stakes, commonly known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby and, for sponsorship purposes, as the Kazoo Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is held annually on the first Saturday of June at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey over a distance of one mile, four furlongs, and six yards (2,420 metres). It made its debut in 1780.
It is the richest flat horse event in the United Kingdom and the most famous of the five Classics. It is frequently referred to as the turf’s “Blue Riband.” The race is the middle leg of the historically significant Triple Crown of British horse racing, preceding the 2000 Guineas and following St Leger, though winning all three is rarely attempted in the modern era due to changing priorities in racing and breeding, as well as the demands placed on horses.
The Epsom Derby – Alex Greaves (1996)
It took almost 200 years for a woman to compete in The Derby. Of course, there had been female trainers and owners at the time, and many had achieved success, but it took two centuries for a female jockey to go to the track.
Alex Greaves was the pathfinder, a pioneer for women in racing in a variety of ways. She was the first woman to ride a Group One winner, the Nunthorpe Stakes at York in 1997, and she went on to win almost 300 races in her distinguished career.
Greaves’ first historical moment occurred in the 1996 Derby when she partnered Portuguese Lil on the legendary Epsom course. Portuguese Lil, who was priced at 500/1 by the bookmakers, didn’t have a chance in the fast circumstances, but Greaves put up a brilliant performance on a historic day for women in the sport.
The Epsom Derby – Hayley Turner (2012)
It’s unclear why it took 16 years for the next female rider to be granted a purse in The Derby. However, it was not surprising that the lady jockey in question was Hayley Turner, one of the most prolific jockeys of that period, who once had more than 100 wins in a single season back in 2008.
Turner won the July Cup and Nunthorpe Stakes, and she was picked to ride Cavaleiro in the 2012 Derby as a safe set of hands. The couple didn’t quite make it on the day, but the runout confirmed Turner’s place as one of the important personalities in women’s horse racing.
She would go on to become the first female rider on the Dubai World Cup night, winning an international Grade One race in the Beverley D. Stakes. All the lady jockeys who became fully-fledged did so in part thanks to Haley Turner, a pioneer in the jockey ranks in that period.
The Epsom Derby – Pertinent Statistics
- In 1996, Alex Greaves, was the first woman to ride in the Derby, coming last on 500/1 chance Portuguese Lil, trained by her husband Dandy Nicholls. Hayley Turner became the second woman to have a mount in the Premier Classic in 2012, finishing last on 25/1 chance Cavaleiro.
- In 1893, Harry Barker accomplished the remarkable accomplishment of coming second in both the Derby and the Grand National. At Epsom Downs, he rode Ravensbury to a second place in the Classic, and at the iconic Aintree Racecourse, he rode Aesop to a second place in the Grand National.
- Steve Donoghue is the only jockey to have ridden three Derby victories in a row the three record-breaking victories coming on Humorist in 1921, Captain Cuttle in 1922, and Papyrus for his three in a row in 1923.
- Walter Swinburn, who died in a house accident in December 2016 at the age of 55, won the Derby three times. Firstly on the brilliant Shergar in 1981, then Shahrastani in 1986, and finally on Lammtarra in 1995.
Other Notable Achievements by Female Jockeys
- Bryony Frost established a precedent in 2019 when she won the Ryanair Chase riding Frodon, becoming the first woman to win at the Cheltenham Festival over obstacles.
- And then of course there’s Rachael Blackmore. After conquering Cheltenham in 2021, she became the first female rider to win the Ruby Walsh Trophy, as well as the first woman to win the Champion Hurdle.
- Then, only a few weeks later, she won the Grand National riding the Henry De Bromhead trained Minella Times, becoming the first woman to ride a winner in the Aintree showcase.
- At this year’s Cheltenham Festival another piece of history as Rachel piloted A Plus Tard to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the first lady ever to achieve this success.
- Hollie Doyle has gone about her work discreetly, but she has had plenty of success of her own. The 24-year-old is a three-time major winner in the British Champions Sprint, Long Distance Cup, and Princess of Wales Stakes, and she established a new record in 2019 for the most wins by a female rider in a single season.
Alex Greaves and Hayley Turner
Despite both the mounts of Alex Greaves and Hayley Turner not finishing in positions they were hoping to, both ladies have paved the way for other female jockeys to continue to receive invitations to ride a horse in the prestigious Epsom Derby.
They were both pioneers, masters of their craft by creating pathways for other talented lady jockeys to continue to follow in their footsteps, and achieve as much and maybe even more than those ladies have.