Hollie Doyle gears up to first rides for Imad Al Sagar and Gosden

It was announced last week that Hollie Doyle would be joining forces with Imad Al Sagar. That partnership gets going on Tuesday at Lingfield, as she rides a pair of fascinating three-year-olds. 

The journey begins

Hollie Doyle has been widely accepted as one of the most promising jockeys in the weighing room and Tuesday is another huge step forward. The news broke last week that she would be taking up this new venture, and it was a welcome sign that her talents hadn’t gone unnoticed in the higher ranks.

Doyle currently sits a joint-fifth in the Jockeys Championship, with forty-one winners since June 1st. A total of 271 rides, compared to the likes of William Buick (203) and Ryan Moore (242), shows just how much she’s been utilized this term.

A day of firsts

She takes up her first set of rides for the Classic-winning owner at Lingfield. It will also be her first rides for Champion Trainer John Gosden, who trains both Amtiyaz and Faisal. John Gosden’s string have been in superb of late, with a 25% strike-rate from fifty-three runners. That bodes well for a successful start to the partnership.

Amtiyaz will kick off her new adventure and as a 200,000gns purchase as a yearling, connections clearly think plenty of this son of Frankel. If you follow her pedigree long enough down the dam’s side, you’ll find both Galikova and Goldikova being relatives. That obviously catches the eye and although she’s drawn wide, there is plenty to like about her chance.

She rides again for Gosden and Al Sagar just thirty minutes later aboard Faisal, a son of Golden Horn who cost £35,000gns as a yearling. He’s the first foal of a seven-furlong maiden winner trained by Roger Varian, with a good mix of speed and stamina in his breeding. The ten-furlong distance looks a good starting point for him and he looks the best of the newcomers on paper.