CURRIE IS RED HOT IN LADIES’ DAY
NICOLA CURRIE stole the show at Ascot’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup – as the all-female side swept to victory in the international jockeys’ challenge.
The Ladies, rebranded from the Girls team successful in 2015 and 2018 and completed by captain Hayley Turner and French-based Mickaelle Michel, beat Ireland by 69 points to 66 in the points-based competition, with Great Britain (64) taking third place and the Rest Of The World (53) last of the quartet.
Two of the card’s six handicaps fell to Currie’s mounts – Just Hubert landed the Shergar Cup Stayers and State Of Bliss the Shergar Cup Classic – to continue what the Isle of Arran-born rider hopes will be a resurgent 2021.
“I had a very quiet two years – I had an injury and I just couldn’t get that ball rolling again,” said the 28-year-old, who recorded 81 victories in 2018. “It’s a big
stage and it’s been very well publicised.
“It’s well needed – it’s more relief than joy at the moment, because I want to keep improving my career.
“I don’t want to ride just to make money and to make a living – I want to make something of it.”
Currie earned the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle for the meeting’s leading jockey, and also the inaugural Dubai Duty Free Ride Of The Day Award for her effort aboard Just Hubert.
■■ED WALKER will walk the track at Deauville today before committing Starman to run in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest.
“The horse is in France now and I want to run him,” Walker said.
“The weather has been a nightmare and he doesn’t want soft ground, but it could almost be the last chance he gets to run this season.”