Hollie Doyle blog: Sky Sports Racing ambassador has leading chance in Ayr Gold Cup before trip to Sweden | Racing News
6 min readSky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle is preparing for an action-packed weekend with seven rides at Ayr on Saturday, including leading Gold Cup fancy Popmaster, before a rare trip to Sweden on Sunday.
Popmaster can be top of sprinting charts
POPMASTER, the horse named after the popular Radio 2 quiz, has the credentials to be a chart topper in his own right in Saturday’s Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup (3.40).
Ed Walker’s three-year-old is entitled to be among the market principals. He has progressed nicely this season, taking his strike rate to four from 10 when he justified favouritism in an Ascot handicap earlier this month.
The 5lb penalty he incurred that day gets him into the race off a relatively low weight and I am happy with my middle draw in stall 11. I am also hoping the application of blinkers for the first time will give him that all-important edge, too, on ground he should relish.
This will be the first time I have ridden Popmaster and I’m grateful to Ed and owner Laurence Bellman for giving me a great opportunity in such a famous race.
Hoping Typhoon can storm home at big odds
Richard Hannon’s TYPHOON TEN steps up in grade in the Virgin Bet Ayr Silver Cup (2.30) on Saturday after notching back-to-back wins in August.
Like Popmaster, he takes a 5lb penalty into the race and is similarly well drawn in stall 15, where I will definitely have options.
This five-year-old’s last win came over seven furlongs on fast ground at Lingfield so a strongly run six on what is being described as good to firm going should play to his strengths.
Ease in grade for Nazanin
It is a long way from Archie Watson’s Saxon Gate Stables in Lambourn to Ayr Racecourse but the trip is worth making with my boss Imad Alsagar’s nice filly NAZANIN.
She needs to get back to the promise of her second run at Ascot when she re-appears in the Group Three Virgin Bet Firth Of Clyde Fillies’ Stakes (3.05).
I was a little disappointed with her performance in the Group Two Lowther Stakes at York last month after she ran so well behind the classy Zain Claudette in the Princess Margaret, but it was a red-hot race on ground that was too quick for her.
I have not sat on her since but can confirm that she looks a picture at home and I dearly hope she can get back on track now she’s returning to Group Three company.
Ginger’s form boost ahead of Listed test
The form of THE FLYING GINGER’s last run could not have worked out better. The horse she beat at York, Sea La Rosa, gave the form a great boost by winning at Doncaster’s St Leger Festival last week.
I team up with Roger Fell’s three-year-old in the Virgin Bet Doonside Cup Stakes (1.55) at Ayr. It is a big ask, stepping back up to Listed company against some battle-hardened opposition, but she deserves her chance.
I will almost certainly be making the running in the hope of securing some valuable black type. To do that we must steal a march on Wolferton Stakes winner Juan Elcano, local hero Euchen Glen and Golden Mile winner Maydanny.
Aran out to hit new heights
I am riding Keith Dalgleish’s gelding HEIGHTS OF ARAN in the Microtech Group EBF Nursery Handicap (1.20) at Ayr. It is his first time in a handicap on the back of a promising effort over a similar trip at Hamilton last time and one mile on a sound surface looks the right combination for him to progress again.
My fiancé Tom Marquand won a nice handicap on WOBWOBWOB at York’s Dante Meeting in May and a return to that kind of form will give him a chance in the Download The Gribbens Taxi App Now Handicap (4.50), even off an 8lb higher mark.
Adrian Keatley’s gelding returns from a break after finishing lame on his latest start on The Knavesmire in July and it will be nice to pull on the familiar silks of Ontoawinner just a few days after scoring for them on Secret Handsheikh at Yarmouth.
DASH OF SPICE, another Ontoawinner representative, is my final ride of the day in the Jordan Electrics Ltd Handicap (5.20). Tom won on him at Pontefract two starts ago and he should enjoy this step up in trip as he stays all day.
Stockholm Cup an ideal target for Outbox
I am flying out to Sweden on Sunday for three rides for Archie Watson at Bro Park in Stockholm, including my old friend OUTBOX in the Group Three Stockholm Cup International (4.10).
This looks an ideal target for Hambleton Racing’s six-year-old at the end of a marvellous season, defined by his win in the Listed Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket in July.
I have ridden at Bro Park before. It is a sharp track but it does take some getting home. Outbox is poorly drawn in stall 10 but stays the one-mile-and-four-furlongs strongly and proved at Wolverhampton back in March that he is adaptable enough to cope with a turning track.
Amongst his opponents is Ed Dunlop’s globetrotter Red Verdon, who always has to be respected but was behind us in the John Porter Stakes in the spring.
Gurkha and Knight in two-pronged attack
Archie won the Listed Bro Park Sprint Championship (4.45) two years ago with Corinthia Knight and launches a two-pronged attack on the race this weekend.
Corinthia could not be in better form following back-to-back wins at Pontefract and will give Luke Morris a great ride, but I partner MIGHTY GURKHA, a Group Three winner on the All-Weather who has run some decent races in defeat on turf this summer.
Well drawn for a front-runner in stall one, and right next to Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Aplomb, Mighty Gurkha is ground versatile so should be able to cope with any variations on the official going description of ‘good’.
Corinthia Knight, the winner of 14 races, has a more challenging starting position in stall nine but came from off the pace to win it in 2019.
I am also on Archie’s LAST HOORAH in the seven furlong race at 3.25. He is a lovely colt who won for me at Ffos Las in August and was beaten by the firm ground when he attempted to follow up at Chepstow. He is better than that, as I’m hoping he will show on a more suitable surface.
Thrilled with first St Leger ride
INTERPRETATION did me proud in last weekend’s Cazoo St Leger, finishing fourth. It was my first ride in the race and to be on one of Aidan O’Brien’s quartet was amazing.
He is a lovely staying prospect for next year, as he proved when sticking so gamely to his task up that long Town Moor straight. Hurricane Lane was entitled to win but the way he swept to the front to claim the glory was so impressive.
I was also called upon to ride for Aidan in France last Sunday and went one better on La Joconde, finishing third in the Group One Prix Vermeille. Although she was a big price, she didn’t surprise me by finishing just behind her illustrious stable companion Snowfall, as she showed plenty of quality when I rode her in the Yorkshire Oaks.
The ground went against Adrian Nicholls’ filly Mo Celita in the Group Three sprint on the same Longchamp card. I won a Listed race on her at Deauville a few weeks ago and she gave me enough of a feel to suggest she can run a massive race in the Prix de l’Abbaye next month if the ground comes up soft.
Hollie Doyle was talking to Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft