Malton's Joanna Mason shines on international stage - finishing as leading woman at International Jockeys Challenge at Saudi Cup

Mason, 33, was riding at the world’s richest meeting – worth a total of $35.35million overall – for the first time and got off to an great start, finishing second in the opening 1600m handicap (one mile) on dirt.

Leading on Najm Alenaya as the race reached its final stages, the pair were caught in the shadow of the post by eventual overall winner Luis Saez on Wajaab, who scored by half a length.

Mason, the only British rider in the two teams of seven men and women, turned the tables on the American in the second race when Medbaas took the 1400m (seven furlongs) handicap by three lengths over Saez on Kareem.

In the third race, 1200m (six furlongs) on turf, Saez finished fifth with the Yorkshire rider one place further back on Beehive.

Mason then finished fifth in the final race on Labeebb, but victory for Japanese rider Yuga Kawada, meant he pipped her for second place, with Saez, who finished second in the 2100m (one mile and two furlongs) event to take first place overall.

With each race worth a stunning $400,000, Mason earned her connections $300,000 overall as well as $10,000 for herself for finishing third.

She said: "To finish third was amazing. To even be part of the challenge was amazing and to win would have been the best.

"To be third is better than nowhere. I'm the only girl on the leaderboard, so I can't complain. Doing it for the girls!"

In a country where the barriers for putting women on equal terms with men are slow to come down, Mason feels time and a heightened profile for women riders will help her sport, at least.

"It has all been about stereotyping," she added. "Definitely in the UK, the likes of Hayley (Turner), Hollie (Doyle) and Nicola Currie, we have a strong ladies' contingent. Put us against the boys and you can't tell.

"We are definitely breaking down barriers and there is still a little bit (of resistance) there, but we are fighting our way and hopefully the rest of the world can continue that.

"It is not all about who is stronger and fitter. The girls are just as balanced and have a racing brain on them, and hopefully we can prove them all wrong."

Mason returns home on Sunday and hopes she will be invited back to Saudi next year.

She added: "No one I ride for has horses out in Dubai, but another year and to have the opportunity to ride out there would be amazing.

"This experience has been great. I'm doing well in England and can't complain. I'm up there with the top females and if I can better last year and get involved in things like this next year, it will be amazing."

Yorkshire stables are well represented on today’s second day of the world’s richest meeting at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh.

All eyes will be on Charlie Johnston’s Middleham-trained Subjectivist as he makes his return to the track after over 600 days off under veteran jockey Joe Fanning and the pair are chasing a prize of over £1m as Subjectivist lines up in the Red Sea Turf Handicap.

Subjectivist had just cemented his position as the leading stayer of his generation when winning the Gold Cup at Ascot in 2021, but a tendon injury has kept him off since.

"It is a feeling of the unknown," said trainer Charlie Johnston.

"We wouldn't be here if we didn't feel we would be competitive. Can I have the same confidence I had two years ago? No. This horse is coming back from a serious tendon injury.”

John and Thady Gosden's 2022 Ebor Handicap winner Trawlerman, the mount of Frankie Dettori, also lines up.

Karl Burke's former York winner Al Qareem and David O'Meara's Get Shirty – who finished fifth behind Trawlerman in the Ebor are also due to run.