Hollie Doyle on Royal Ascot hopes including Bradsell in King's Stand Stakes
By Matt Brocklebank
14:40 · MON June 12, 2023
Hollie Doyle is looking ahead to another productive Royal Ascot after securing her second Classic success aboard Shavasana in Sunday’s Italian Oaks.
The 26-year-old jockey opened her Classic account aboard the John Gosden-trained Nashwa in last year’s French Oaks and was seen at her brilliant best once again over the weekend, making all the running for a half-length victory on Gleneagles filly Shavasana for trainer Stefano Botti.
Reflecting on the win, Doyle told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “There was a question mark there with the trip but her pedigree suggested she should be staying it. Just her running style suggested she could be a bit free.
"To be honest, I got quite a soft lead and the trainer stressed to me not to get into a fight with her. The first half-mile is the long back straight and I managed to dictate, get a breather and she pricked her ears. I think she’s beaten some proven horses from France and Germany and I thought it was quite a good performance.”
Doyle’s year started with an injury setback having had to undergo surgery on a broken elbow following a fall at Wolverhampton in January but she reports things to be going well again having enjoyed 22 winners from 75 rides (29%) for chief supporter Archie Watson alone this year.
She said: “I’m feeling good, I’m 100% now which is great. It was a bit frustrating early on in the season but it can be like that and now the winners are coming and I’m getting plenty of support from loads of different trainers.”
As for the Royal meeting, last year’s Coventry Stakes winner Bradsell is back and expected to be trying a new trip in the King’s Stand Stakes, while Doyle is also hoping to potentially go back-to-back in the Coventry, the principal juvenile race for colts over six furlongs.
She said: “There are some nice two-year-olds going to Royal Ascot, we’ve got Army Ethos and I’m looking forward to riding him in the Coventry. He won up at Ayr (replay below) and he’s a horse who looks to have plenty of potential hopefully.
“Bradsell is going to step down in trip I think for five furlongs for the King’s Stand Stakes. His last two runs have suggested that he probably does need to go back in trip now. But he’s in fine fettle, I sat on him last week. We know he’s a good horse, it’s just needing things to fall right for him really.”
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Last year’s Classic heroine Nashwa will not form part of Doyle’s Ascot book of rides, the John and Thady Gosden-trained filly now waiting for a crack at the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland on the back of a comeback fourth at Saint-Cloud last month.
“The plan is the Pretty Polly for her all being well,” Doyle said. “I haven’t sat on her since France but hopefully she’ll strip a bit fitter and it looks like a good opportunity. She’ll skip Ascot and go straight to the Curragh.”
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