Hollie Doyle fancies her chances on Electrolyte in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday, live at Royal Ascot on Sky Sports Racing. In her latest blog, she also discusses Kylian, Facteur Cheval and Rosallion
Tuesday 18 June 2024 15:24, UK
Our ambassador has four rides on the opening day of Royal Ascot on Tuesday, live on Sky Sports Racing, and reveals her thoughts on the Queen Anne Stakes and the St James's Palace Stakes.
Electrolyte has been very professional from the minute he arrived at Archie Watson's Lambourn yard from the breeze-ups and can show the racing world what a promising colt he is on the opening day of Royal Ascot on Tuesday, live on Sky Sports Racing.
He looks an exciting ride in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes (3.05) on Tuesday - a race I was lucky enough to win back in 2020 on Archie's subsequent King's Stand hero Bradsell.
This Hello Youmzain colt, who was knocked down to Wathnan Racing for £220,000 at Doncaster breeze-ups, has a lovely mind and wasted no time in making a winning debut at Ayr less than two weeks later.
It was the same maiden that Archie's Army Ethos won before going on to finish second for me in last season's Coventry and this horse compares favourably. We're drawn high in stall 18 but have the fancied Andesite and Al Qudra around us, so could be well placed.
The Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (3.45), formerly the King's Stand Stakes, is another race I won on Bradsell two years ago and this time I link up with Archie Watson's outsider Kylian.
A smart two-year-old, he had his first run for us in the Listed Westow Stakes at York's Dante Festival and ran well after a long lay-off. We weren't expecting to run against a horse of the calibre of Big Evs that day but he showed blistering speed - much more than we expected, to be honest.
He's a big horse who has tightened up for the run and we've been pleased with his work at home. He's drawn very high in 16 but we're right in between fancied runners Regional and Asfoora who should give us a nice tow into the race.
It's a big ask at the weights but I'm expecting Kylian to out-run his massive odds.
The Copper Horse Handicap (6.15) is another race I have on my CV. I won it for my boss Imad Alsagar on Amtiyaz in 2021 and am hoping for a repeat in the dark green silks on his half-brother Intinso.
Well drawn in stall 2, he sports a tongue-tie for the first time which I think will help him find that little bit extra required to win a competitive race like this.
He's got good form on this track, finishing third in last season's Shergar Cup Classic, and will enjoy the longer trip. Well placed in stall two, I'm really hoping he steps up to the occasion as we've always thought he has a big one in him.
Alastair Ralph's five-year-old Nathanial Greene is among the outsiders in the longest race of the day, the two-mile and four furlongs Ascot Stakes (5.05). It's a big ask as he hasn't run since pulling up over hurdles at Ludlow back in November.
Formerly with William Haggas, he ran well in defeat in staying handicaps at Haydock for my husband Tom (Marquand) and Goodwood last summer but whether he has the stamina to see out the Gold Cup trip remains to be seen.
The opening race of Royal Ascot, the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes (2.30), looks an open contest but I think it will go to France and Facteur Cheval.
Jerome Reynier's gelding was no match for Big Rock in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over course and distance or Paddington in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood last year but showed his class on a sounder surface in Meydan in March, winning the Dubai Turf.
He hasn't run since then but shouldn't have a problem fitness-wise and looks an improving horse who can take all the beating on what looks like being quick ground.
My old guv'nor Richard Hannon says Rosallion is the best horse he's ever trained and I think this beautiful colt will justify his trainer's comments in a red-hot Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes (4.25).
The way he hit the line in the Irish 2,000 Guineas was impressive. He's clearly still improving and I think racing around a bend over the old mile will suit him well.
Notable Speech, who got the better of him in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, looks the one he has to beat while French classic winner Metropolitan also brings class to the line-up but I'm putting my faith in my good friend Sean Levey and Rosallion.
Hollie Doyle was speaking to Sky Sports Racing's Simon Mapletoft.
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