‘Just another day at the office’ for Doyle and Marquand in Group One clash

Married duo team up with Gosden runners in Falmouth Stakes.

It is rare that husband and wife jockeys ride against each other in a top-class race, and it is rarer still that they ride for the same trainer.

Yet that is the prospect facing Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle when they oppose each other in the Group One Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

Doyle is on the much-fancied Nashwa for owner Imad Al Sagar, while Marquand will sport the famous pink and green Juddmonte colours aboard Coppice, with both trained by John and Thady Gosden.

For racing’s ‘golden couple’, it is business as normal, as Doyle explained: “I’m obviously only riding because of Imad’s retainer, but it’s good that Tom has picked up that good ride.

“Riding against him in a Group One for the same team is not something I’ve really thought about – it would never really cross my mind. It’s just another day at the office.”

Third in last year’s Oaks, Nashwa went on to give Doyle a first Classic success when taking the French equivalent at Chantilly before recording a second Group One success in the Nassau at Goodwood and excellent placed efforts in both France and America.

However, she has failed to really sparkle in her two starts this term, at Chantilly and Newcastle, and Doyle is hoping she will finally be ready to show her true colours as she drops back to a mile for the first time in eight starts since landing a Haydock novice in April last year.

“I think she has taken a time to come to hand,” added Doyle. “She is really big and has grown a lot over the winter. I just think she has taken a few runs to get straightened out, really.

“John and Thady are clearly happy with the way she has come out of Newcastle to run her back in the Falmouth. We will leave it to them – they usually do the right thing.”

Hollie Doyle and Tom Marquand both ride for the Gosden team in the Falmouth
Hollie Doyle and Tom Marquand both ride for the Gosden team in the Falmouth (John Walton/PA)

Marquand replaces the suspended Frankie Dettori aboard Coppice, who followed up her Newcastle novice success with victory in the Sandringham at Royal Ascot.

He said: “Obviously it’s fantastic to pick up a ride of Coppice’s quality in a major Group One.

“She comes in off the back of an impressive performance at Ascot with Frankie and under unfortunate circumstances for him, I’ve been lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to get aboard her, so hopefully she can continue along her progressive path.”

Coppice won at Ascot for Frankie Dettori
Coppice won at Ascot for Frankie Dettori (David Davies/PA)

Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owner Juddmonte, feels it is a “nice opportunity” for Coppice to test her mettle.

He said: “This is a huge step up in class, but she’s a nice filly and she won well at Ascot.

“She’s a filly that we have Group-race aspirations for so we will start here and see how we get on and if we have to lower her sights, then we can. She’s a filly who, if she could get third in a Group One, then that would be a nice result.”

The George Boughey-trained Via Sistina, winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh just under two weeks ago, is a likely favourite but her participation hinges on some ease in the Newmarket ground.

Remarquee (far right) was not beaten far at Royal Ascot
Remarquee (far right) was not beaten far at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

Bookmakers see Ralph Beckett’s duo, Remarquee and last year’s winner Prosperous Voyage, as the biggest threats outside of Nashwa, with the former making her first outing for new owners Wathnan Racing on the back of her second to Tahiyra in the Coronation Stakes.

Meanwhile, defending champion Prosperous Voyage was a winner at Epsom before finishing third in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Ascot and returns to the scene of her finest hour with William Buick deputising for the suspended Frankie Dettori in the saddle.

“Hopefully the rain will hold off for her,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Marc Chan, who owns the filly with Andrew Rosen.

“Her last two runs have been good and she goes into the race as well as she did last year, so you would have to be really hopeful.”

Saffie Osborne maintains her partnership with Ed Walker’s Random Harvest, having finished a place behind Prosperous Voyage at Epsom, but a place in front of that rival at Ascot, while Never Ending Story (Aidan O’Brien), Ameynah (Roger Varian) and Astral Beau (Pam Sly) complete the line-up.

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