Sports Personality of the Year award would be icing on the cake for Hollie Doyle

Record-breaking jockey already elated at ‘massive honour’ to join BBC shortlist.

Hollie Doyle could find herself left speechless if she is crowned 2020 BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday.

It has been a remarkable 12 months for the rider, who broke her own record for the most winners in a calendar year by a female jockey before enjoying a Champions Day double at Ascot – including her first Group One aboard Glen Shiel in the British Champions Sprint.

Earlier in the campaign Doyle claimed her first Royal Ascot success on Scarlet Dragon, and has since taken part at the Breeders’ Cup in America, in Bahrain and just last week rode a winner in the Longines International Jockeys Championship in Hong Kong.

Before going up against the likes of Formula One’s Lewis Hamilton and cricket’s Stuart Broad, when the public votes for its favourite British sports star of the year, Doyle said: “It doesn’t get much bigger than the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, does it?

“It’s a massive, massive honour to be nominated. It’s pretty crazy, to be honest.

“I’d be gobsmacked if I won – I wouldn’t know how to react, I don’t think.”

The 24-year-old’s outstanding achievements have already been recognised with several awards – as the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year, the Sports Journalists’ Association Sportswoman of the Year and Flat Jockey of the Year at the HWPA Derby Awards.

Doyle, who has also received four nominations for next week’s Lesters Awards, is the first short-list contender for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year from the world of racing since Sir Anthony McCoy – the sport’s only winner to date in 2010, and also twice third, in 2002 and 2013.

She added: “I cannot believe how the year has gone. I kind of wrote it off when we were in lockdown and thought ‘any winners I get this year would be a bonus, and I won’t be beating my record from last year’.

“It’s been pretty mad, and I’m just humbled by everyone’s support and the way everyone has helped me out throughout the year.

“I loved riding in Hong Kong last week. It was one of the best places I’ve been to, and I’d really love to go back one day.”

Whatever happens on Sunday, Doyle will not be resting on her laurels.

She said: “I’m riding every day this week and I’ll be staying here for the winter.

“Things don’t really quieten down at all for me, but that’s not a bad thing.”

:: BBC Sports Personality of the Year is on BBC One from 8pm on December 20

Follow us on Twitter racing365dotcom and like our Facebook page.
Bbc Sports Personality Of The Year

Latest