Cup teammates in Carlisle battle

Josephine Gordon aboard Moonlightnavigator repelled the late thrust of the Hayley Turner-ridden Dubai Dynamo to claim victory in the PPM Ltd Ladies Riders’ Handicap at Carlisle on Monday evening.

The fixture has always been a popular event with the locals and has been a lady riders’ only card since 2011.

Turner, riding at the meeting for the third time, is widely regarded as one of the leading female riders of all-time and while she retired from the saddle at the end of last season, she has made a mini-comeback to make another appearance in this weekend’s Shergar Cup at Ascot.

Also in action in Cumbria and set for her Shergar Cup debut alongside Turner in the Girls Team on Saturday was Gordon, who has enjoyed a stellar year, with this, her 47th winner of 2016, and she currently leads the race to be crowned this season’s champion apprentice.

While teammates later this week, the high-profile pair went head to head in the most valuable race of the evening and fought out a thrilling finish.

Gordon was never too far off the pace on the John Quinn-trained 5/4 favourite Moonlightnavigator, while Turner was doing her best to keep Ruth Carr’s veteran Dubai Dynamo interested at the rear.

Moonlightnavigator went for a gap on the far rail inside the last half-furlong and after hitting the front, he just had enough in the tank to hold a fast-finishing Dubai Dynamo at bay by half a length.

“I would probably have been better making the running myself, but I got hassled …

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