Hollie Doyle has a real opportunity to challenge for the coveted British flat racing Champion Jockey trophy this season. If she manages it, she will become the first woman to win it in its 181-year history.
Currently, the talented Doyle has ridden thirteen winners and sits just two wins behind the current leader, William Buick.
Aptly, today is Ladies Day at Newbury and Hollie has six rides, including Sir Busker in the Group 1 (listed) Lockinge Stakes.
Doyle’s reputation gathered momentum in 2019 when setting a new record for winners ridden in a British flat racing season by a woman. The following year she came fourth in the Jockeys’ Championship on the flat, the highest ranking for a woman to date. That performance earned her a popular vote on the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Award in 2020, where she finished third.
Still an apprentice, her first listed race winner came at Salisbury in 2017, in the August 2017 Upavon Fillies’ Stakes. She hasn’t looked back despite suffering facial injuries after being unseated at Haydock, and losing several teeth in the process. Remarkably, she was back riding within a couple of weeks.
Since then, she has achieved five-timers on two occasions and ridden more than 150 winners in each of the last two years.
Today, at Newbury, Doyle really does have her work cut out. Aside from Nashwa in the 4.30, only Mr. Big Stuff in the 2.45 presents her with a particularly good chance of adding another winner.
In the absence of Oisin Murphy, who is currently banned, this may be Hollie Doyle’s best chance of securing a Jockey’s Championship and she will be doing all she can to keep pushing all the way to the final race in October.