Turner and Simcock in Dream land

Hayley Turner became the first female jockey to win a British Group One race outright as the David Simcock-trained Dream Ahead returned to his most powerful best in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket.

The 28-year-old is the most accomplished rider of her sex in the history of Flat racing in the UK, having been the first woman to reach 100 winners in a calendar year and to share the champion apprentice title.

And her marginal improvement on Alex Greaves's achievement in dead-heating in the 1997 Nunthorpe Stakes on Ya Malak confirmed her status.

Turner was the focus of the cameras, but Simcock was keen to credit the horse, who finished last season rated equal top two-year-old with Frankel thanks to an impressive victory in the Middle Park Stakes.

Opportunities to run in the 2000 Guineas and its Irish and French equivalents were ruled out because of the quick ground and Dream Ahead (7-1) did not threaten Frankel on his reappearance in the St James's Palace, but a drop in trip showed him in his very best light.

Turner's only issue during the race was to avoid Steve Drowne and Bated Breath drifting across her colt in the concluding stages, but she swept past him almost effortlessly in the end and had far more in hand than the official half-length.

The Nottinghamshire-born rider, substituting for William Buick, who was required at York, said: "I'm just so thrilled as I had it on my list of things to do. I only found out I was riding him two days ago and I haven't sat on the horse before, so I can't take much credit.

"William Buick told me how to ride him, and he said not to get there too soon. Steve's horse started to hang right and caused a bit of interference, but it's always the case when you're on a horse that travels so well that he gets you out of trouble."

Simcock, in his seventh year as a trainer, insisted: "This is important for the horse. There wasn't really anything for him before Ascot, so we had to go down the mile route and he didn't stay the distance.

"Of course it is great for Hayley and great for racing, but you wouldn't put Vettel in a Mini and win the Monaco Grand Prix, so the horse is important. The plan next would be to go to the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville."