Hollie Doyle

Not content to rest on her laurels, rider-of-the-moment Hollie Doyle claimed a career-best success when guiding last month's G1 Haydock Sprint Cup runner-up Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) to a dramatic success in Saturday's Qipco British Champions Sprint S. at Ascot. Hambleton Racing Partnership's veteran chestnut, who had previously claimed a first pattern-race triumph in The Curragh's Aug. 8 G3 Phoenix Sprint S., broke like greased lightning from the gates and was in command under a tight hold until allowed a measure of rein at halfway. Looking certain to be...

Ascot's rain-affected British Champions Day opened with the £300,000 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup over the best part of two miles and it was Hollie Doyle, fresh from setting a record number of winners earlier in the week, who celebrated success with a wide-margin tally aboard Barbary Lions 5's 4-year-old gelding Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}). The Alan King trainee's previous best came in July's Listed Tapster S. at Haydock and he earned his place in this line-up coming back off an eighth--behind the reopposing Fujaira Prince (Ire) (Pivotal {GB})--in...

Hollie Doyle broke her own record for wins by a female jockey in a calendar year in Britain on Wednesday at Kempton when notching her 117th victory for the season aboard the Ralph Beckett-trained State Occasion (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) in a nursery handicap. Doyle broke Josephine Gordon's record of 106 wins last year, and looks likely to set the benchmark much higher with 2 1/2 months of the year remaining. Doyle has also won her first group and Royal Ascot races this season, became the first female jockey to win...

Racing has been fortunate to forge ahead in 2020 without crowds, but it is imperative that they return as soon as possible. That was one of the overriding themes of the third panel of the virtual International Conference of Horseracing Authorities released on Monday and entitled "Participating and working in racing during a global pandemic." Moderator Rishi Persad spoke with trainers Charlie Appleby, Chris Waller and Ger Lyons as well as jockeys Hollie Doyle and Zac Purton about the experience of being a racing professional in 2020. "When the country...

Group winner Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) will resurface in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. on British Champions Day Oct. 17. A good second in the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup S. at Haydock on Saturday, the chestnut won the Aug. 9 G3 Rathasker Stud Phoenix Sprint S. for trainer Archie Watson and Hambleton Racing. "He was a very shrewd buy at £45,000 and took another step forward at Haydock, showing he can compete against the best in Group 1 races," said Watson. "Champions Day at Ascot will be...

It has been both a good week and a bad week for women in British racing. Hollie Doyle has already featured in this column on several occasions this season but when her achievements make the evening news bulletin on BBC Radio 4, then it's worth revisiting the subject of this fast-rising jockey. When lockdown started, and racecourses in Europe were shuttered for at least two months, it was Doyle's partner Tom Marquand who grabbed the headlines with his Group 1-winning rides in Australia. Marquand is still 10 wins ahead of...

Hollie Doyle recorded a 899-1 five-timer at Windsor on Saturday, in the process becoming the first female rider to win five races on a card in the UK. Doyle has enjoyed a landmark campaign, earning a first win at Royal Ascot in June before taking her first group race with Dame Malliot (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) in the G2 Princess of Wales's S. in July and gaining a riding contract with Imad Al Sagar. It was for that boss that she won the card's featured G3 Winter Hill S. aboard...

In ordinary times, this week would mark the revving up of the European bloodstock charabanc: standing room only, destination Deauville. As the threat of a second quarantine hangs over visitors or returnees from France to the UK like the Sword of Damocles, it's probably just as well that the traditional start to the yearling season has been delayed. This coming weekend, there will be no short shuffle between racecourse and sales ground for the Prix Jacques Le Marois and other delights ahead of a frenetic evening of activity in the...

Let's not forget, however great the lure of the sales ring or a wafting cheque book may be, thoroughbreds are bred to race. In the case of Prince Khalid Abdullah, Coolmore and Peter Brant, it could be said that we have three owner-breeders who are somewhat immune to commercially-based decisions when it comes to keeping a horse in training. Nevertheless, they are to be commended for racing on mares of the calibre of Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}). At 'only' five, Magical...

Hollie Doyle has been appointed the retained jockey for Imad Al Sagar of Blue Diamond Stud. Al Sagar has been part owner of Classic-winning colts turned sires Authorized (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Araafa (Ire) (Mull Of Kintyre), as well as MG1SW Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) among others. "We are thrilled to add Hollie Doyle to our team," said Al Sagar in a statement. "We have all been impressed with how Hollie has risen to become one of the best of her profession. She is an extremely dedicated, strong and...

A sea of blue dominated winner's enclosures in Britain and France this week, largely owing to the successful season currently being enjoyed by Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation and Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell team. The brothers occupy the top two slots in the owners' table in Britain, and Godolphin is also currently the leading owner in France. While Sheikh Mohammed has a significant number of horses in Chantilly with Andre Fabre, who oversaw the successful return of France's champion 2-year-old of last year, Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), in the Listed Prix Kistena, it...

Archie Watson trainee Igotatext (Ire) (Ajaya {GB}) became the first winner for his freshman sire (by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) with an all-weather victory, going just over six furlongs, at Lingfield. 2nd-Lingfield, £5,400, Mdn, 6-5, 2yo, 6f 1y (AWT), 1:13.56, st/sl. IGOTATEXT (IRE) (c, 2, Ajaya {GB}--Tifawt {GB}, by High Chaparral {Ire}) was quickly away from the outside stall and settled behind the leaders in third after the initial strides of this debut. Scrubbed along rounding the home turn, the 5-2 pick challenged wide once into the straight and kept on...