Royal Ascot: Day Four round-up - Hollie Doyle partners breakthrough winner
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Friday 19 June 2020 19:54, UK
Hollie Doyle became only the third female rider to partner a winner at Royal Ascot when Scarlet Dragon struck on Friday.
Doyle - who already holds the record for number of winners ridden in a calendar year by a female - joins Gay Kelleway and Hayley Turner on the Ascot roll of honour.
The Alan King-trained Scarlet Dragon was a largely unconsidered 33/1 shot for the finale on day four of the showpiece meeting and remained well back in the field rounding the turn for home.
However, Doyle kept her cool and managed to weave a passage between horses to pick up both the front-running West End Charmer and Deja, beating the latter by half a length.
Doyle said: "I can't talk, it feels amazing, it's so weird I've done it on this horse, as he was my first big handicap winner as an apprentice so to do it on him and for Mr (Henry) Ponsonby (owner) is great.
"I used to find him incredibly keen as an apprentice, he was one of the reasons I knew I had to strengthen up. I have to thank Mr Ponsonby, he's given me so many opportunities. I know this lad well now, the day we won the Old Rowley Cup I had to sit and suffer on him a bit, but he travels really well and it suited him today.
"This means a huge amount - you arrive every year with high hopes, but it's very hard to come across winners."
Horde is Golden in Commonwealth
Golden Horde was an emphatic winner of the Commonwealth Cup.
Clive Cox's colt, a Group Two-winning juvenile before finishing second in last year's Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket, marked his seasonal return at the top level with a length-and-a-half triumph in the feature race on day four.
Adam Kirby had the 5/1 victor handily placed behind the pace set by Mums Tipple, before pouncing in the final two furlongs to win with authority.
Cox said: "I'm very proud of him. He's a lovely big, strong horse. He was a wonderful two-year-old, but with the size and scope he had we were always hopeful that when he strengthened into his frame he'd improve again."
Frankie swoops in Hardwicke
Fanny Logan came from last to first to claim a decisive victory in the Hardwicke Stakes.
John Gosden's filly won a hat-trick of Listed races and a Group Three last season, before rounding off her campaign with a fourth-placed finish at the Breeders' Cup.
After being beaten at cramped odds on her reappearance at Haydock earlier in the month, the four-year-old appeared to have plenty on her plate against the boys in this Group Two event, but proved more than up to the task in the hands of Frankie Dettori.
Dandalla scorches clear in Albany
Another to have won at Newcastle since racing resumed, Dandalla could be noted travelling well a couple of furlongs out and when Curtis asked the question, the 13/2 shot responded in style.
Pulling clear in the final furlong, she easily accounted for Setarhe to earn quotes of 16/1 for next year's 1000 Guineas.
Curtis said: "Karl's daughter Lucy rides her every day and I remember her coming down from the gallop and mentioning her in the same sentence as Laurens. When she said that, it give me all the hope in the world.
"She went to the racetrack the first day and did what she did and we knew she'd improve a ton. Everything went perfect today and she's demolished them."
Sky Sports Racing is the only place to watch every race from Royal Ascot with the first race on Saturday exclusively live.
