Hollie Doyle reached a milestone this week but she keeps on kicking looking ahead to a busy Saturday at Haydock with seven rides - including one in the feature on Sprint Cup day
Thursday 5 September 2024 15:52, UK
After riding her 1000th winner this week, Hollie Doyle heads to Haydock Park on Saturday for seven rides, including live outsider Vadream in the Group 1 Sprint Cup.
I never imagined when I began race riding a decade ago that I would ride 1,000 winners around the world, so to reach that landmark at Goodwood this week was very special indeed.
Winning the 6f nursey aboard David Simcock's Leyhaimur on Tuesday will always hold special significance, and I'm grateful to David and owner Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah for giving me the opportunity.
Goodwood has been good to me over the years. I love the track, so it was fitting to reach my milestone there and the response I received from the racing public was wonderful. It was heart-warming to see so many people willing me to achieve it.
Special thanks must go to all the trainers and owners who have supported me over the years, especially my boss Archie Watson who has provided me with so many of my 39 Group and Listed winners, including my breakthrough win at the top level on Glen Shiel in the Champions Sprint four years ago.
I'm also indebted to Imad Alsagar, who gave me my first Classic success on Nashwa in the French Oaks two years ago - another day I will never forget.
Now it's onto the next thousand, but my main ambition is to ride more Group 1 winners both here and around the world. One day I would like to be champion jockey, too. I have the work ethic to chase a title and hope that, with enough support, I'll be good enough to succeed.
Anyway, the show goes on, and I'm off to Haydock on Saturday for seven rides, including Vadream in the Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup (3.35).
Charlie Fellowes' mare needs to pull out something special to win this, but the forecast of easy ground is just what she needs, so I'm hopeful she can outrun her big price.
It wouldn't be the first time this dual Group 3 winner has shown up well at the top level. Her staying-on fifth in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, on ground that was faster than ideal, shows she retains plenty of ability.
The one we all have to beat must be Kevin Ryan's gorgeous colt Inisherin, who was brilliant in the Commonwealth Cup and is proven at Haydock after winning the Group 2 Sandy Lane back in May.
We think a lot of Eternal Elixir at Archie Watson's Saxon Gate Stables in Lambourn, and she deserves to take her chance in the Listed Betfair Daily Tips On Betting.Betfair Ascendant Stakes (4.07) on the card.
Our daughter of Shaman ran well here on debut and duly built on that experience by winning a 7½f Ffos Las novice for Josh Bryan last month.
That was on heavy ground, so the ease underfoot we expect on Saturday shouldn't be a concern as she steps up in class and in distance. We could be better drawn than stall seven of eight, but I still think she has what it takes to run a big one.
Chasemore Farm's Waxing Gibbous should give me a lovely ride in the feature handicap of the day at Haydock, the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup Handicap (2.25).
David Menuisier's filly has been progressing steadily this year, winning a 1m4f handicap at Newbury on her second start.
Her narrow defeat at Kempton last time was respectable, as she looks like she'll be better suited by this greater test of stamina. Off just 8st 2lb here, she's a definite player.
Newmarket trainer Tom Clover's been in red-hot form - he was operating at a 42 per cent strike rate earlier this week - and I can see his speedy Jumbeau running well in the Betfair Be Friendly Handicap (3.00), as long as the ground dries out.
She finished nicely behind an in-form filly at York's Ebor Festival and reappears in this famous old 5f handicap off an unchanged mark. She's done most of her racing on good ground or faster, so Tom will be hoping the rain clouds stay away.
On the back of a win at Yarmouth, Marco Botti's three-year-old Across Earth is an interesting contender for the 1m6f Betfair Plays Different Handicap (1.50) a little earlier.
He's really progressed for being gelded earlier in the year and could be up to defying a 6lb rise for his seaside success, though soft ground probably wouldn't be ideal.
Later on, I'm expecting a good run from Alice Haynes's reliable filly Asteverdi in the first division of the Betfair Podcasts Handicap (4.40). She won on good to soft at Sandown in June and ran well in defeat in the Hamilton mud last time out.
Asteverdi looks to have stronger prospects than Star Zinc in the second leg (5.15). I've won on Rebecca Menzies' five-year-old before, who is quirky but capable on his day, but it's his first run since April and he's yet to win in 11 tries on turf.
