Turner joins Moore on the sidelines while Queally and Dettori battle it out at the top

Hayley Turner faces a frustrating spell on the sidelines after her best ever season gound to a halt yesterday.  Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

There’s been mixed news for two of the leading jockeys in the QIPCO British Champions Series this week.

On Wednesday it was reported that Ryan Moore, who lies in sixth place in the Jockey of the Series table with one victory (on St Nicholas Abbey in the Investec Coronation Cup) and no less than five second places, could make a much quicker than expected return from the injuries sustained in his crunching fall at Goodwood in July.

Arc Day in Paris on 2 October and QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on 15 October are not now being ruled out, whereas the prognosis soon after the fall was that his badly broken arm was a season-ending injury.

However, for Hayley Turner, who lies in fifth place with two victories courtesy of Dream Ahead in the Darley July Cup and Margot Did in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes, it is very likely to be a case of “season over” following her fall at Bath yesterday.

She has broken an ankle and while she describes it as a “clean, uncomplicated break”, there appears little chance of her returning to the saddle in the immediate future.

Meanwhile Tom Queally and Frankie Dettori are locked in battle at the top of the table with five winners apiece.

Queally currently holds sway thanks to his three second places – Dettori has just the one – but Queally does not ride in the next Series race on Saturday, the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock Park, while Dettori will partner a horse with a chance in Delegator.

Ladbrokes find it hard to split the pair in the betting for the Jockey of the Series title, with Queally their marginal favourite at 4-5 and Dettori at Evens.

Queally will no doubt consider Frankel a banker in the 34th of the 35 races – the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on QIPCO British Champions Day – but Dettori will have similar views about Opinion Poll in the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup that same afternoon, while he also has Blue Bunting to look forward to in the Ladbrokes St Leger on Saturday week.

It promises to be a fascinating battle to the very end. To view the full jockeys’ rankings, CLICK HERE.