Hollie Doyle Blog: Chantilly trip for Group Three prize before flying to Sweden for big rides and Japan move ahead | Racing news
It’s a big international weekend for Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle who partners Super Sprint winner Eddie’s Boy in France on Saturday and globe-trotting Outbox in Sweden on Sunday.
French mission for fast Eddie
It’s a busy jet set weekend for me, with one trip in France on Saturday and three in Sweden on Sunday – a trip that starts with an early morning Eurostar trip to Paris to go Eddie’s boy in group three Prix Eclipse (4.00) at Chantilly on Saturday.
Eddie has done his owners Middleham Park Racing and trainer Archie Watson proud in his first season, winning the valuable Super Sprint at Newbury and making the frame in a particularly strong Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.
I’m no stranger to riding at Chantilly, as Archie and I have had a lot of success there over the past few years, and we have a great chance to improve our record with one of the standout performers.
It’s a lovely, fair track and he looked the trip well enough in the big sales race at Newmarket last time. The light surface is a bit unfamiliar to him, but hopefully the trip will prove to be worth it for all of us.
From Paris I take an overnight flight to Stockholm, Sweden to ride three of Archie’s horses in a valuable place at Bro Park before flying back to Heathrow for a welcome day off on Monday.
Outbox offers to get better in Stockholm
The mission is to go one better than last year with the globetrotting Outbox in group three Stockholm Cup International (3.20) at Bro Park in Sweden on Sunday.
He finished second in this 12-furlong feature last year to track specialist Square De Luynes, despite being drawn wider than the winner and rivals finishing around him.
Unfortunately we’ve got an even worse draw this time, widest of all in stall 15, which on a tight left track is far from ideal for a horse that tends to hang right. Whips are not allowed in Sweden either, so I have to be as strong as possible to get through the bends smoothly.
Outbox is an experienced traveler who has landed some big prize money overseas, notably a £400,000 purse in Qatar back in February, and is fresh and well off his creditable third place in the Group Three Geoffrey Freer at Newbury last month.
Big chance for the Watson youth
I have a lot of faith in Archie’s two-year-old Manitouso I’m really looking forward to getting him back in the valuable seven-furlong Appel Au Maitre Svealand Run (3.25) at Bridge Park.
Like Outbox, he is owned by Hambleton Racing whose owners were delighted to see him win a six-furlong maiden so convincingly at Chepstow at the end of August, his first start since being gelded.
Manitou’s form looks rock solid, with the horse he beat by almost four lengths, Vetiver, to score at Beverley next time. Even his third at Newmarket on his previous start was given a real boost with Streets Of Gold adding a valuable nursery at York and a big sales race at the Curragh to his CV.
This will be the first time he has hit a bend on a sharp, twisty course, but I have a lot of faith in this horse who has what it takes to run a big race.
Hope Tabdeed can regain Goodwood form
I don’t know what to expect from the talented but unpredictable Tabbed in listed Uplands-Bro Municipality Bro Park Sprint Championship (5.45) in Stockholm.
Archie’s seven-year-old showed exactly what he is still capable of when he almost won the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood, but he has not been able to recreate that form in the two races since.
This is a very different style of track to what he is used to, but he is one of the best horses in the race on official figures and completes a trio of exciting chances.
The goal is to become big in Japan
This winter will have an international feel for my husband Tom Marquand and myself as we have both been invited to ride in Japan. It is a great opportunity for me to further my career and challenge myself in another jurisdiction.
The details haven’t been confirmed yet, so I’m still not sure which trainer we’ll be based with, but I know I’ll be pitting my skills against some of the world’s best jockeys out there for two months.
We will be living in Tokyo, which is such an exciting city, with riding courses during the week and competitions on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. We’re coming home for Christmas, so I’ll be back in all weather at the start of the new year.
Some people have asked me if cutting my domestic year short and missing out on the opportunity to set a new record for wins makes me disappointed, but the answer is definitely no. At this stage of a season you start to feel a bit tired and it’s just not physically possible to continue at such a relentless pace year in and year out.
While it is great to beat my previous records, my ambition has always been to establish myself as a top international jockey, and this represents a great opportunity to get closer to that goal.
Hollie Doyle spoke to Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft.