Hollie Doyle strikes Group Two gold aboard Dame Malliot

Graham Clark
July 15, 2020 1:50 pm

Newmarket winner gives jockey a landmark success.

Hollie Doyle landed the first Group race of her career as Dame Malliot ran out a game winner of the Princess of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket.

Fresh from a first Royal Ascot win last month, Doyle broke new ground at Group Two level with Ed Vaughan’s charge, who had made good progress last season, winning at this level in France last August.

Doyle was not happy with the pace of the race at halfway and took up the running, before both Alounak and Communique headed her at one stage, yet despite drifting a little to the far side, Dame Malliot kept on finding for pressure.

Dame Malliot stays on gamely to win the Princess Of Wales’s @Tattersalls1766 Stakes for trainer Edward Vaughan 🏆🚀
A first career Group 2 success for jockey Hollie Doyle 👏#JulyFest 🏇 pic.twitter.com/68CuOP5SYN
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) July 9, 2020

Towards the finish the 8-1 chance was well on top, pulling two and a quarter lengths clear of last year’s winner Communique.

Doyle said: “She was very fresh today and as she’s a big-striding filly and she took such a hold, I was struggling to settle her.

“We weren’t going quick and I had a big decision to make, but thankfully for my sake it worked out, otherwise I don’t know what Ed would have said!

“She’s a good filly. She’s my first Group winner and to do it for Ed Vaughan and Mr (Anthony) Oppenheimer, it’s excellent.”

Vaughan said: “I didn’t know what to make of it as early on – they weren’t going fast enough for her.

“Five out I thought she might get caught out on the ground, but she kept picking up.

“She’s a good filly and holds a track record here. Frankie (Dettori) won a Group Two on her in France on heavy ground, but got off and said to never run her on that sort of ground again.

The @edvaughan1 trained Dame Malliot gives @HollieDoyle1 a day to remember @NewmarketRace after becoming her first Group race winner with victory in the Group Two Princess Of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes pic.twitter.com/nrKnZQM8T7
— Graham Clark (@GrahamClark85) July 9, 2020

“We’ll probably have to take on Mr Oppenheimer’s other filly, Star Catcher, but I have got her in a Group One in Germany – but I’ll leave it up to Mr Oppenheimer.”

He added: “I’m delighted for Hollie as she works hard. I don’t know how many winners she has had for me, but it is something like five winners from seven rides.

“I like how she rides. She is very tidy. Horses don’t pull with her and she has got good hands and rides with a good length of rein. I just love how she rides.”

Dame Malliot was well on top at the line for Hollie Doyle (Steve Davies)

Doyle was delighted to make the breakthrough in Pattern company.

“I’ve had plenty of rides in Group races, but that was the first winner so that is great,” she said.

“It is excellent. I managed to tick riding a winner at Royal Ascot off last month. It is great to get this under my belt. I’ve been riding out most weeks for Ed in Newmarket and I’ve worked this filly. She is twice the filly she was last year.

“The feel she gave me in the Aphrodite Stakes (last season), she is probably one of the best horses I’ve ridden. To have done that the way she has today, I would really hope she could pick up a Group One somewhere around the world.

“I don’t know where, but she has definitely got the potential. I know she is Frankie’s ride and I hope whenever he can’t ride her, I can.”