A MASSIVE crowd assembled at Ripon on Monday to see Victoria Pendleton in her first-ever race under rules and she delivered a fine riding performance, finishing second in a thrilling final race.

Britain's most successful female Olympian showed a change of saddle had not diminished her will to win or her sense of timing as she rode 14-1 shot Royal Etiquette to within a wheel's width of a famous victory.

Initially towards the rear of the field, Pendleton quickly moved up to the front and was disputing the lead turning for home with the rest far behind.

With three furlongs to go, the chasing pack began to close, but Pendleton and Royal Etiquette dug into their reserves to stay on stoutly to the end and, in a blanket finish, she crossed the line second behind 33-1 shot Jordaura, whose rider Tom Greenwood was celebrating his first winner under rules.

"I was just pushing with everything I had," said Pendleton. "It's quite difficult because the course is a little bit undulating in those last three furlongs and I felt like I lost my balance a bit on a couple of strides, which was frustrating because I couldn't keep a really good rhythm.

"There's a lot of things I could have done better, but I'm really pleased with how Royal Etiquette, or Harry as he is known, has performed for me today. He's going to get some Polos!"

Pendleton's ultimate aim is to ride in the Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival next March. When she signed up for the challenge six months ago, she had never ridden a horse.

She added: "I feel blessed to have the opportunity to ride in a race. Hopefully I've done a good job and hopefully I will get a few more rides. It was a good start anyway.

"I don't know when the next race will be, but riding on the Flat is allowing me to refine my skills."

Earlier on the card, Mark Johnston and Andrew Elliott teamed up to land the Two Year Old Trophy with Whitman, who made all the running and held on in game style from the James Bethell-trained Chiringuita.

Afterwards, Johnston said: "Whitman is progressing well, but I'll see how he is before deciding on future plans."

The first race of the day was a seller, but it provided Ann Duffield and PJ McDonald with another winner with Cuppatee.

The combination have been in great form of late with lots of winners, with the promise of much more to come in the next few weeks.

Turning attention to the jumping action, Cartmel also raced on Monday and there was a brace of Middleham-trained winners, starting with Boldbob in the juvenile hurdle.

Given an assured ride by young Finian O'Toole, Boldbob is trained by Micky Hammond, who said: "He has run well on the Flat, but we thought we'd try juvenile hurdling and it has worked out well. He'll go back to the Flat, but maybe not until next year."

The feature handicap hurdle was one-way traffic as the likeable Golden Jess made all the running for Philip Kirby and Kyle James.

Afterwards, part-owner Will Hayler said: "Golden Jess has had all sorts of problems and has nearly been retired twice. He likes Cartmel and we've got him ready for this type of race as it offers great prize money for a horse like him."

Earlier in the week, the news broke that Hayley Turner, the most successful female jockey in British racing history, is to quit the saddle.

Turner, 32, is understood to have taken the shock decision to retire at the end of the season having grown frustrated at the lack of opportunities to ride at the top level and a decline in rides during the week. She is likely to try to develop a career in the media while also exploring a profile outside horse racing.

Despite riding two Group One winners in the summer of 2011, when she became the first British woman to secure a top-level victory outright with her July Cup triumph aboard Dream Ahead, and taking a Grade One victory in the Beverly D Stakes the following year, there have been few other comparable highlights.

This season, Turner, who rode 100 winners in 2008 and reached 92 three seasons ago, has partnered 39 winners, but her best moments have been as a member of the first Girls team to claim the Shergar Cup and in Japan at the weekend, where she rode the winner of the final leg of the World All-Star Jockeys contest.

A graduate of the Northern Racing College whose first winner came in 2000, Turner made her breakthrough when she became apprenticed to Michael Bell in Newmarket.