Hollie Doyle sends another record tumbling with victory at Glorious Goodwood

Hollie Doyle smashed through another glass ceiling at the 2022 renewal of Glorious Goodwood, becoming the first female rider to win a Group 1 contest at the esteemed West Sussex meeting — winning day three’s prestigious feature race, the Nassau Stakes, aboard Nashwa for father/son training duo John and Thady Gosden.

Third in the Oaks at Epsom to Aidan O’Brien’s Tuesday and the well-regarded Emily Upjohn, another filly from the Gosden’s Clarehaven Stables, few would have tipped Nashwa to go and progress better than her two Classic counterparts, but that is exactly what has happened — with a monumental win in the Prix de Diane (the French Oaks) at Chantilly prior to this Goodwood success.

That victory marked another horse racing first, with Doyle also becoming the maiden female winner of the French Classic, but there was a stark change in tactics between the Prix de Diane and the more recent Nassau Stakes.

Dropped back down from a mile and half for the French contest after the Oaks, the pair raced freely in the 1m2½f race and stayed on strongly to win by nothing more than a shortneck. At Goodwood, over the same distance, it was more steadied and controlled, with Doyle pushing the turbocharge late on for a commanding length and three quarters victory over Aristia.

“It was a change of tactics today, but I know she can win being ridden like that,” said Doyle. “They steadied the pace up today, which was a bit worrying for me from where I was, but she’s got a high-cruising speed and, like I say, push button.

“The boss, Mr Gosden, just told me to ride her like that – to ride her like the best horse in the race and thankfully she was and it paid off.”

This is no time for Doyle and Nashwa to rest on their laurels now though. The sky is limit for this duo and there are plenty of big races left to be won before the end of the flat season later this year — with the Prix de l’Opéra at Longchamp in October and the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland in the United States in November both realistic international targets for the pair.

For Doyle, the win at Goodwood and Chantilly — both of which would have been a good way to spend your bet 10 get 30 offer — are two more monumental moments of what has been a fantastic season.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed big wins in the Middle East and Germany, winning the Group 1 Amir Trophy aboard Outbox in Doha earlier this year and the Group 3 Mehl Mulhens-Trophy in Hamburg last month, while she is second to William Buick in the Flat Jockeys Championship with 58-winning rides at the time of writing.

While she couldn’t win the Goodwood Cup with Trueshan, their victory together in the Northumberland Plate will also remain one of the biggest talking points of the season. As top weight of 10st 8lb for the all-weather handicap at Newcastle, Trueshan had to give in excess of 19lbs to the rest of the field. But they still managed an unprecedented win.