Hollie Doyle ranks City Of Troy "very likely" to bring home the Coral-Eclipse; the Sky Sports Racing ambassador is reunited with star stayer Trueshan at Sandown on Friday before travelling to France for some big chances for boss Archie Watson over the weekend
Friday 5 July 2024 16:22, UK
Hollie Doyle is reunited with star stayer Trueshan at Sandown on Friday before travelling to France for some big chances for boss Archie Watson over the weekend.
After missing out on a run in the Ascot Gold Cup for the fourth year in a row due to unsuitable ground, my star stayer Trueshan will hopefully be reappearing at Sandown on Friday.
He is among the leading contenders for the Listed Coral Marathon (4.50) over 2m, with underfoot conditions currently described as good and the forecast heavy rain in his favour.
It could develop into a head-to-head between myself and my husband Tom [Marquand], who rides the other leading contender in Quickthorn. Hughie Morrison's seven-year-old sprung a surprise in the Goodwood Cup last season but trailed in behind us in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot in May and hasn't run since.
If he gets his favoured conditions on a track he has run well at before, I'll be disappointed if Trueshan doesn't get his season back on track en route to bigger assignments later in the year.
It will be very much home from home in France on Saturday when I take on five other British raiders in the Listed Prix Yacowlef (2.32) at Deauville.
I ride Archie Watson's promising two-year-old Weissmuller, who is still a maiden after two starts but ran a big race to be fourth in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Six of the seven runners are from our country, including the Richard Hughes-trained Aviation Time who finished just ahead of Weissmuller at Ascot.
A novice or maiden would be a formality for my boy, so Archie and connections clearly think highly of him to keep him at this level, and I'm looking forward to riding him for the first time.
I'll be staying in France for several rides on Sunday, including aboard Archie's Havana Ball in the Listed Prix Amandine (3.40) at Deauville. She won a similar race in Germany for Luke Morris in May and must have every chance of gaining more valuable black type.
I'm also hoping to ride stable companion Saint Lawrence in the Group 3 Prix De Ris-Orangis (4.15). He's not been in the same sort of form that saw him win the Wokingham last year before his third in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, but he will have conditions to his liking.
I also have two rides at Deauville on Sunday for French-based handler Gavin Hernon, including Teme Valley's Persian Jewel in the Listed Prix Goldikova (5.02)
She was a maiden winner in Ireland for Paddy Twomey before joining Gavin and although she disappointed on stable debut, connections clearly feel she's up to gaining some valuable black type.
A little earlier I'm on Gavin's unraced juvenile Spirit D'Or in the 6f Prix de Lisieux. This horse came from the breeze-ups, so will hopefully be sharp enough to go well too.
Aidan O'Brien has a great record in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, and he looks likely to be celebrating his eighth win in the race with the exciting City Of Troy.
The Derby hero faces seven rivals in the Group 1 and will have to underperform badly to be beaten, even though he tackles 10f for the first time.
I'd love to see Roger Teal's Dancing Gemini run a big race, but he must take a giant step forward to cause an upset. He was well behind Ballydoyle's star at Epsom and, even though he may be better suited by the shorter trip, is 11lb wrong at the weights.
Hollie Doyle was speaking to Sky Sports Racing's Simon Mapletoft.
