Turner's lifting gloom in bid for a magic century

The Racing Post, the sport's trade paper, is in the middle of a campaign to attempt to stop the BBC reducing its coverage of racing from 2010 but there is currently one stand-out story that should give the industry cause for optimism.

After riding a double yesterday, it is now only a matter of time before Hayley Turner notches up a century of winners to prove that she can more than hold her own against her male jockey counterparts on a level playing field.

Turner, 25, started yesterday eight winners short of becoming the first female to ride 100 winners in a calendar year and victories on Mister Thatcher in the Lingfield race prior to the controversial Sabre Light contest, and Lexlenos at Kempton's evening meeting moved her within six winners of her target.

Turner started the year hoping to land 70 winners but, as well as captaining the Great Britain team at the Shergar Cup at Ascot in the summer, is on the brink of a momentous achievement.

Turner, who turned professional three years ago, said: "I've had a really good year. My target was 70, so I'm well clear of that and I've had some bigger winners and rode better horses this year."

Her success has not gone unnoticed by bookmakers Sportingbet who rate her just a 6-4 chance to ride a Group winner in 2009, 2-1 to ride a century next year and 4-1 to have a winner at Royal Ascot.

Turner could even notch her ton tomorrow when she has six booked rides but we may have to wait a little longer before hailing Hayley as a shining light amid considerable gloom.