Hollie Doyle enjoyed Group success in the last week with Tempus in France; she heads to Haydock this weekend, taking the big ride on Rohaan, a dual Royal Ascot winner; Amtiyaz is another Royal Ascot winner lining up this weekend for Doyle
Thursday 1 September 2022 15:24, UK
Our ambassador Hollie Doyle returns with her latest blog, looking ahead to a big ride on Royal Ascot hero Rohaan in Saturday's Haydcok Sprint Cup.
Saturday's Betfair Sprint Cup (3.30) at Haydock Park looks wide open and should be run to suit my mount ROHAAN, trained by my good friend Dave Evans.
The hurly-burly of a big field seems to bring the best out of the four-year-old, who won the valuable Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot for the second year running back in June. Rohaan thrives upon a strong pace, which he is sure to get, and his effectiveness beyond 6f should be in his favour at the business end of the race.
He's nicely drawn and is versatile ground-wise, so shouldn't mind the fast conditions on Saturday. Although he's never won a Group 1, Rohaan is proven at Pattern level. He won the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes over this course and distance last year which is another positive.
He was finishing better than anything to get within a length of subsequent Nunthorpe heroine Highfield Princess in the Group 1 Maurice de Gheest and ran well enough in the Hackwood at Newbury to suggest he can turn the tables on Minzaal, who looks set to go off favourite.
AMTIYAZ, who won the Copper Horse Stakes for me at Royal Ascot last year, will appreciate the step up to 1m6f in the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup (2.55) on Saturday.
Owned by my boss Imad Algasar and trained by John and Thady Gosden, he made a belated re-appearance over 1m4f at York last month and gave me a nice enough feel, considering he was always going to sharpen up for the outing.
This greater test of stamina on a nice galloping track is what he's all about so I'm hoping for a good run from this tough little fellow who is only 3lb higher in the ratings than when he won at Ascot. My biggest concern is my wide draw in stall 14 as he does like to race prominently.
It's a hot handicap, as you'd expect for the prize money, and pitches us against William Haggas's progressive stayer Soulcombe, who was so impressive for me when winning the Melrose at York. He'll be a worthy favourite.
I'm looking forward to ATALIS BAY in the £70,000 Betfair Be Friendly Handicap (4.05) on Saturday following his bold show in a heritage handicap at York's Ebor Festival.
Beaten only a head into third that day, Robert Cowell's sprinter has progressed with every run since being gelded and it was a sure sign he's ready to get his head in front again.
A 3lb rise doesn't concern me because he's more than capable of winning a good handicap off his latest mark of 100 and deserves another big pot.
He was classy enough to win the Listed Scurry Stakes at Sandown for Marco Botti last season.
Archie Watson's done a great job with the handsome ALAZWAR since he won a Huntingdon bumper on his racecourse debut last October.
The powerful four-year-old has since taken well to racing on the Flat, winning twice over the extended 1m at Wolverhampton, and must be a key player in the Extra Places Any Day With Betfair Handicap (5.14) despite being poorly drawn for a front runner.
Hambleton Racing's gelding proved at Ascot last time that he's just as happy on turf.
Archie's wife Brodie Hampson gave him a lovely ride to finish second in the ladies' race at the King George meeting and he heads to Haydock off an unchanged mark.
Ralph Beckett's SPEYCASTER looks a nice opportunity in the Get Daily Rewards With Betfair Handicap (2.20) on Saturday.
This lightly raced son of Highland Reel is ideally drawn to build on his latest run over course and distance in July following a gelding operation.
It's still early days for the three-year-old, who was smart enough to beat subsequent Group 2 Great Voltigeur winner Deauville Legend in a Chelmsford City novice back in November. That was on Polytrack but he has run well on quick ground on turf.
I'd love to see Charlie Appleby's Guineas hero COROEBUS bounce back to form in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (2.48) on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Racing.
He just wasn't at his best following a setback in the Jacques Le Marois last time but William Buick rode him in a piece of work on Wednesday morning and was delighted with him.
If the same Coroebus who won the colts' Classic and the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot turns up, he'll surely be hard to beat.
Archie Watson's improving TEMPUS looks set to take on Europe's best milers in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Champions' Day after notching his second consecutive Group 3 in France last Sunday.
Hambleton Racing's gelding has gone from a handicapper to a dual Group winner in the space of eight weeks so it's hard to tell how far he can go.
He really enjoys his work and his racing and is going from strength to strength now. He jumped out nicely at Deauville and I was always happy.
He's a horse you can place anywhere but does prefer a lead now and thankfully we went a nice even gallop.
The further we went the better he was going. He travelled into it like the best horse in the race, which he was, and is getting more professional with every run.
