Hollie Doyle blog: A Melbourne Cup first with Future History on a global trip

Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle is set to ride Future History in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup as she continues her global tour; watch all the action from Australia live on Sky Sports Racing from 11pm on Monday with the big race due off at 4am

Monday 6 November 2023 13:11, UK

Our ambassador Hollie Doyle is set to become the first female jockey from outside of Australia and New Zealand to ride in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday morning, live on Sky Sports Racing.

HONOURED TO BE MAKING HISTORY IN MELBOURNE CUP

Now I've arrived in Melbourne I'm even more excited about riding FUTURE HISTORY in Australia's greatest race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup, on Tuesday.

It's such an honour to become the first female jockey outside of Australia and New Zealand to ride in the race in its illustrious 163-year history and I'm thankful to trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace and their owners for giving me this amazing opportunity.

Future History, a five-year-old by Showcasing, goes to Flemington with a live chance, too, with some highly-respectable recent form and the lightest weight in the race.

He qualified by winning the Grade 3 Bart Cummings a month ago, a 'win and you're in' race, and has run well in defeat since, finishing a close third in the Grade 2 MV Cup at Moonee Valley - a tighter track that probably didn't play to his strengths.

A lovely, long-striding gelding who has won around this track, he's drawn in the middle which isn't ideal but it could have been worse, so my hopes are high that we'll get the luck in running we'll need and that he sees out this longer trip.

STABLE COMPANION GOLD TRIP THE STAR ATTRACTION

Ciaron and David - son of former Newmarket trainer James Eustace - are also represented by last year's Melbourne Cup winner GOLD TRIP who is strongly fancied to go back-to-back in what the Aussies call 'the race that stops a nation'.

He must shoulder top weight under James McDonald but has the proven form in the book and has been blessed with a good draw in stall two.

Gold Trip has been running as well as ever, finishing a close fifth in the Grade 1 Cox Plate after his solid third in another big staying race down under, the Grade 1 Caulfield Cup.

However, European hopes hinge mainly on the Willie Mullins-trained Vauban who will be ridden by Ryan Moore. The horse has been backed down to favouritism after back-to-back wins at Royal Ascot and Naas.

Like Gold Trip, the dual-purpose Irish star is also favourably drawn in stall three. Mr Mullins has been bullish about him since that Group 3 win in Ireland and he should give Ryan a great spin.

TAKING ON TOM IN BIG-RACE APPETISER

It will be a huge benefit to have two other rides before the Melbourne Cup, including WAHINE TOA for Ciaron and David in the 2800m The Macca's Run.

She will have to step forward on her efforts at Caulfield in September over 2000m and again over 2400m last month but has run well at Flemington this year. If the cards fall for her, she could go well against better-fancied opposition.

Later, I've picked up the ride on Blue Cup for trainer Brian McGrath in the 1400m race that precedes the big one, when I'll be competing against my husband Tom (Marquand) who partners ex-British performer Berkshire Breeze.

A seven-year-old grey, Blue Cup hasn't been in the best of form so needs to build on his stable debut at Geelong over a slightly shorter distance.

Berkshire Breeze, who is now trained by Ciaron and David, will be familiar to punters at home, having won a novice and a handicap at Lingfield Park last winter for Andrew Balding. Hopefully he'll go well for Tom on what is an exciting day for us both.

DELIGHTED FOR TOM AND TEAM APPLEBY

Tom and I began our quickfire world tour in California last week when I was trackside to see him win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Mick Appleby's speed machine BIG EVS.

It was such a thrill to be there to see Tom and Mick round off what has been a fairytale season for everyone connected with the star two-year-old in some style.

We'll be heading from Australia to Japan this week to begin a short-term contract which will keep us in Tokyo until Christmas. It's the second year in a row we'll be based there and we're really looking forward to the challenges ahead.

Watch the Lexus Melbourne Cup from Flemington live on Sky Sports Racing at 4am on Tuesday with coverage commencing at 11pm on Monday.