Hollie Doyle became the second British female Flat jockey to ride 1,000 winners worldwide when Leyhaimur, her second winner on the afternoon, took her to the landmark number at Goodwood yesterday.
The first to ride 1,000 winners was the pathfinding Hayley Turner who achieved the feat at Chelmsford last November. Tradesman became her 979th domestic winner, added to which she had ridden 21 abroad. She has subsequently reached 1,000 domestic winners this summer.
Doyle still needs to ride about 40 more winners in Britain to reach 1,000 domestic winners but, at her current rate, she will become the numerically most successful British female rider if not this season then next.
While it took Turner, who briefly retired and spent some time sidelined with injuries, 23 years to reach the total it is 11 years since Doyle rode her first winner, The Mongoose, her first ride as an amateur at Salisbury in May 2013.
“Never when I started off my career did I imagine I would ride this many winners,” an overjoyed Doyle told Racing TV.
“I’m just really grateful for all the support I’ve had so far; from trainers, owners, my agent – they’ve done a great job for me so far, even though I’m probably a nightmare to work for. Now all I can think about is the next thousand.
“I was riding for about six years or so before I really got going, so it feels like an age for me, but obviously, statistically, it’s all happened in a short period of time and it feels like two minutes ago I had my first ride.
‘Glen Shiel was a big day’
“I’m really lucky, I’ve come across some really nice horses, so I’ve been very blessed, but I suppose my Group One on Glen Shiel was a big day and then Nashwa came with my first Classic winner, so they are days I’ll never forget.
“But the Goodwood Cup here [on Trueshan] was a pretty good day as well and, hopefully, I’ve got plenty more good days to look forward to as well.”
Having started with David Evans and then joined Richard Hannon where she was an apprentice with her husband Tom Marquand, she has been first jockey to Bradsell’s trainer Archie Watson since she left Hannon’s.
“Archie has been a huge supporter of mine,” she said. “But Dave Evans and Richard Hannon both gave me a great education for life as a professional jockey. I took the step to Archie’s yard and it’s just progressed from there really. I’d like to ride as many Group One winners as I can, that’s every jockey’s dream.
Champion ‘dream’ still alive
“My ultimate dream was to be champion but I know that’s very hard. I want it enough and I’ve got the work ethic for it, it’s just whether I’m capable or good enough.”
Just 10 days after riding Bradsell to victory in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York, her ninth European Group One, Layhaimur took her score to 103 for the year.
She has reached at least a century every year since 2019 and her 172 winners in 2021 would have been good enough to win her the title some years. Tonight she rides at Kempton but after riding work, she will be in the Gym at Oaksey House in Lambourn ‘improving’ her fitness before heading to the Sunbury track. That is dedication.
