James Doyle To Ride Irish Derby Runner-Up Sunway In King George

David Menuisier and Sunway | Emma Berry

James Doyle has been confirmed to ride Irish Derby runner-up Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

A Group 1 winner in last season's Criterium International, David Menuisier's colt ran the best race of his three-year-old campaign when pushing Los Angeles close at the Curragh last month.

With Oisin Murphy confirmed to ride the John and Thady Gosden-trained Middle Earth, Menuisier has snapped up the services of Doyle.

He confirmed, “James Doyle is going to ride. He won't need any riding instructions – he knows his way around!”

Sunway is a 10-1 shot with William Hill, who on Tuesday morning trimmed the odds of Ralph Beckett's top-class filly Bluestocking to 5-1 from 7-1. Auguste Rodin is the 5-4 favourite.

Menuisier continued, “He had a stretch of the legs this morning and seems A1 and in very good form. Fingers crossed, all being well between now and then, he'll go to Ascot.

“The horse ran really well in Ireland and we know that if you're a good three-year-old, getting 11lb in the King George is definitely a plus. The opposition is strong, but we feel the horse is on the up and we feel he could improve with decent ground as well, so we ought to try and take it from there.”

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