THERE has been no shortage of debate on the merit of female jockeys compared to their male counterparts, and this has been brought into focus by the introduction of a universal claim for female riders in France, seeing Hayley Turner, and more recently Bryony Frost, relocate there for better opportunities.

The achievements of Frost, Turner, Rachael Blackmore, Hollie Doyle, and others in the past decade have shown that gender is no barrier to success in Ireland and the UK in a sport where all senior riders compete on equal terms.