Hollie Doyle blog: Sky Sports Racing ambassador heads back to Deauville on Sunday after five rides at Newbury
Hollie Doyle has five rides at Newbury on Saturday, including improving Dreamloper in the Group Two Hungerford Stakes; Doyle then heads back to France as Archie Watson's Laos goes for the Listed Prix Nureyev at Deauville, live on Sky Sports Racing
Saturday 14 August 2021 07:20, UK
Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle assesses her chances at Newbury on Saturday and looks ahead to Deauville on Sunday and Catterick on Monday.
Dreamloper improving at the right time
Saturday's Group Two BetVictor Hungerford Stakes (3.30) at Newbury looks wide open and my mount DREAMLOPER could be improving at just the right time.
Ed Walker's filly made a smooth transition from handicaps to win the Group Three Valiant Stakes over one mile at Ascot by a commanding margin for champion jockey Oisin Murphy.
She won't mind the drop back to seven furlongs in what should be a strongly-run race. I'm told she's done well since Ascot so there's every chance she can bridge the ratings gap with the fancied runners.
Red alert for Geoffrey Freer
RED VERDON is an old legend who couldn't be coming into the BetVictor Geoffrey Freer Stakes (2.20) at Newbury in better form.
Despite being eight-years-old now, he rolled back the years to win a Listed race over two miles at Sandown last month.
Second in another Listed race at York before that, he won't mind dropping back in trip, as long as they go a decent gallop, and should give me a great ride.
Hukum is likely to be sent off the warm favourite and is clearly the one we all have to beat after his smart performance in the Group Three John Smith's Silver Cup at York. He won this race 12 months ago, of course, but is an even better horse now.
That said, Red Verdon is a class act on his day as he proved when I finished fourth on him in a valuable race at the Saudi Cup meeting in February. He never gave up that day and that's the kind of spirit that will stand us in good stead on Saturday.
Dascombe dark horse is well regarded
Tom Dascombe knows a good two-year-old when he sees one so don't be surprised to see AMOR VINCIT OMNIA out-run big odds in the Listed Denford Stakes (1.45) at Newbury.
On paper, it looks a stiff task for the Caravaggio colt, who beat only a couple home in a six-furlong novice at the same track on debut, but Tom and the team think a lot of him. I was fifth in that race on Sisters In The Sky, who went on to complete the third leg of my Glorious Goodwood treble.
Stepping up in trip, this will be a good test of his capabilities with Andrew Balding's Group Two Superlative Stakes runner-up Masekela among some smart opposition.
Progressive Sunset can defy rise in weights
I like my chances in the ultra-competitive BetVictor Handicap (2.55) at Newbury with Ed Walker's progressive filly SUNSET BAY. She's made giant strides this summer, winning a course and distance handicap in June and following up in emphatic fashion over seven furlongs at Sandown.
Sunset Bay went four lengths clear at the line that day when Oisin (Murphy) rode her, and could easily improve enough to defy a 9lb rise in the weights over the same trip on this nice big galloping track.
It's always fun to ride for David Evans and I'll be looking to GOLD ARCH to improve on his yard debut on the all-weather at Kempton Park last week when he re-appears in the Mettal UK Handicap (4.00).
That was his first run since last October, when he was trained by William Knight, so he's entitled to sharpen up for it. Dropping back in trip to one-mile-and-two-furlongs is an unknown, however, as Gold Arch has won all his races over further.
Off day for Glen but back for more
Despite Glen Shiel's disappointing run, Deauville turned out to be a happy hunting ground for me last weekend and I'm hoping for more success when I fly back out there on Sunday to ride Archie Watson's LAOS in the Listed Prix Nureyev (3.25).
Will Nash, his owner, loves us to take his horses over to France and Archie Watson's three-year-old has been running well enough to justify a crack at this contest.
I won on him at Kempton earlier in the year and he was third in Listed grade over a mile at Chantilly last month. On that evidence the extra quarter-mile should be ideal.
It wasn't to be for Glen Shiel in the Group One Larc Prix Maurice de Gheest last Sunday. He was drawn on the wrong side and didn't enjoy the run of the race, but just didn't finish off his race like we know he can.
Maybe his run in the July Cup took it out of him but he's entitled to have an off-day and will hopefully be back to his best for his next target, the Group One Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock Park next month.
The day did end on a happy note, however, when I won the Listed Prix Moonlight Cloud on Adrian Nicholls' remarkable filly Mo Celita. She really enjoyed bowling along in front and never looked in any danger.
It was lovely to help Adrian achieve his first Listed success and a great result for owners David Howden and David Redvers, whose filly was rated only 62 when she won the first of six races at Leicester back in April and now has considerable paddock value.
Nice prospects at Catterick on Monday
I'm planning to head straight back from Deauville to ride at Catterick on Monday when I hope to have two nice rides for Archie (Watson) and Roger Charlton.
GOLDEN RAINBOW keeps on bumping into one but has won around Lingfield's Polytrack and can hopefully boost Archie's 28 per cent strike rate at the North Yorkshire track by winning the six-furlong nursery (1.45).
Roger's filly Nadein - from the family of top-class stayer Sheikhzayedroad - has improved with every run and did enough in a Ffos Las maiden to suggest she can make the long journey north pay off in the one-mile-and-four-furlong novice (3.30).
After that my thoughts will be very much on my Goodwood hero Trueshan's possible re-appearance in the Group Two Lonsdale Cup at York next week.
As I reported last week, his trainer Alan King couldn't be happier with him but whether he turns up for an exciting duel with Stradivarius very much depends on the weather.
