Archie Watson Runners Out for Two Weeks Following Disease Positive

Trainer Archie Watson's runners will not compete at racecourses for at least two weeks after a horse was found to be positive for Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) antibodies before an intended trip to France.

Watson withdrew a trio of UK runners from races on Saturday and another runner from Southwell on Sunday. Horses infected with the virus are typically asymptomatic, but can display a fever, and conjunctivitis among other symptoms.

“We recently had a horse undergo routine testing for transit to France as part of the new export testing protocols,” Watson said in a statement released on Sunday. “One of these tests revealed the presence of antibodies to EVA (Equine Viral Arteritis). As a result, the relevant bodies, including the BHA, were contacted immediately and we have been taking advice from them.

“The yard is attended daily by our veterinary team and at no point have there been any clinical signs of the disease. Whilst we continue to investigate, the most sensible course of action to safeguard the British racing industry was to stop the movement of horses from my yards as further testing takes place over the next two weeks.

“I would like to thank my staff, veterinarians, and James Given at the BHA for their professionalism and efficiency in managing the situation, and my owners for their understanding and continued support.”

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Hollie Doyle To Get First Breeders’ Cup Mount With Mighty Gurkha In Juvenile Turf Sprint

Hollie Doyle will cap a season of personal landmarks and record-breaking feats with her first ride at the Breeders' Cup.

Doyle is set to partner G3 winner Mighty Gurkha, trained by Archie Watson, in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

It will be her first ride in a race in the United States and her first ride outside Europe.

“Arrangements are being made for Hollie to go out to Keeneland,” said Bruce Raymond, who manages Mighty Gurkha for owner Mohammed Rashid. “She knows the horse better than anyone and she has done nothing wrong on him.”

Mighty Gurkha won the Sirenia Stakes in September having previously finished fifth of six when hot favorite for a G3 at Deauville.

“There was a bit of a cock-up in France when the blind didn't come off quickly enough,” Raymond said. “He used to be a bit dodgy in the gate but he won't be at Keeneland where he will have two stall handlers holding him and the gates are a bit larger.

“We know he is quick but whether he is quick by American standards we don't know. We can only be hopeful.”

Doyle, who claimed her first Royal Ascot win this season, rode her first G1 winner on Glen Shiel in the British Champions Sprint before breaking her own record for the most wins in a year by a female jockey in Britain. She has ridden 126 winners.

Former jockey Raymond said: “Hollie is a good jockey and probably the equal of Tom [Marquand], her boyfriend. She doesn't go anything wrong, she is in a good position all the time, she always gets them out of the gates smartly and I don't know why.

“She deserves everything. I don't think of her now as a lady jockey, I just think of her as a good jockey.”

This story was originally published on Horse Racing Planet and is reprinted here with permission. Find more content like this at HorseRacingPlanet.com.

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Jockey Hollie Doyle Scores First Grade 1 Win, Historic Double On British Champions Day

In a wonderful week for Hollie Doyle, the female jockey made yet more history winning her first ever Group 1 race and becoming the first female to win a Group 1 at QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot.

Having won ever-so comfortably in the opener, with Trueshan in the Long Distance Cup, Doyle looked to be oozing confidence as her British Champions Sprint mount Glen Shiel flew out of the stalls and they took up a prominent position in the center of the track.

As the field came to the two-furlong marker, Cieren Fallon Jnr's mount and July Cup winner Oxted began to press ahead, throwing down his challenge as favorite Dream Of Dreams began to fade. Then came the challenge of age-defying Brando, who has always saved his best for the biggest stage. However, trainer Archie Watson's superb sprinter was not for beating.

Glen Shiel battled ever so hard and showed a tremendous amount of grit to overcome his rivals and land a maiden Group 1 success for himself and Hollie Doyle. It's a race that will live long in the memory for racing fans all over the land.

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Hollie Doyle At The Double in Ascot’s Champions Sprint

Not content to rest on her laurels, rider-of-the-moment Hollie Doyle claimed a career-best success when guiding last month’s G1 Haydock Sprint Cup runner-up Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) to a dramatic success in Saturday’s Qipco British Champions Sprint S. at Ascot. Hambleton Racing Partnership’s veteran chestnut, who had previously claimed a first pattern-race triumph in The Curragh’s Aug. 8 G3 Phoenix Sprint S., broke like greased lightning from the gates and was in command under a tight hold until allowed a measure of rein at halfway. Looking certain to be swamped when a host of rivals threatened from all angles approaching the eighth pole, the 16-1 chance found Doyle at her maximum when fellow old stager and 2016 third Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) gained an edge in the closing stages and rallied gamely in a ding-dong tussle to pluck a nose victory from the jaws of defeat in the final stride. Lael Stable’s One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) finished with her usual gusto to edge Art Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) for third.

“I didn’t think I’d won, so to have had the result we have was incredible and I’m in a state of shock right now,” said a delighted Doyle after securing a first triumph at the highest level. “We had a really good old battle with [G1 July Cup hero and eventual fifth] Oxted from the three-furlong pole and I thought I’d be doing well to hold on like I did, but he is such a game horse. He is incredible and has got quicker with age. When we first got him, he was running over 10 furlongs [for Andre Fabre] in France and didn’t show a whole lot of speed, but the further we dropped him back, the quicker he has got. This isn’t about me, it’s about [trainer] Archie Watson, who has campaigned this horse unbelievably and no one else would have won a Group 1 with this horse. It is a dream come true, a massive dream come true, especially on this horse and everyone in the yard adores him. My aim, at the start of the year, was to ride a Group winner and I always said a Group 1 one day, but I didn’t think it would come this year. I don’t get too carried away, but I’m a bit delusional as to what is going on at the moment as it has all been a bit of a whirlwind.”

Popular veteran Brando, contesting a fifth straight renewal and registering his best effort in this event, rolled back the years and provided a flashback of all his old sparkle in getting to within a pixel of springing an 80-1 shocker. Jockey Tom Eaves enjoyed mixed emotions, but was nonetheless delighted with the performance and said, “You are always gutted finishing second, but he has run a stormer of a race. It was a bob of the heads and I’m delighted, but gutted at the same time. He has been running okay, he ran well [when third in the rescheduled G3 Bengough S.] at York last Saturday and that probably put him right for this. York has never been his sort of track, but he likes it here on this big, stiff track. It is a great training performance.”

Glen Shiel, who is the lone pattern-race scorer for G3 Princess Elizabeth S. victress Gonfilia (Ger) (Big Shuffle), is a full-brother to the hitherto unraced 2-year-old filly Greta Hellstrom (GB) and a half to G3 Sirenia S. placegetter Signs In The Sand (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) . Gonfilia is herself a full-sister to G3 Grosser Preis der Dortmunder Wirtschaft victor and G2 German 2000 Guineas second Gonlargo (Ger) as well as being kin to G1 Deutschland-Preis and G1 Preis von Europa heroine Gonbarda (Ger) (Lando {Ger}). Gonbarda, in turn, produced G1 Champion S. and G1 Lockinge S.-winning sire Farhh (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) as well as G3 Winter Hill S.-winning G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern runner-up Racing History (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Glen Shiel’s third dam is G3 German 1000 Guineas heroine Grimpola (Ger) (Windwurf {Ger}), whose descendants include MG1SW G1 Irish Derby hero Fame and Glory (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and MG1SW G1 1000 Guineas heroine Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).

Saturday, Ascot, Britain
QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SPRINT S.-G1, £391,260, Ascot, 10-17, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:16.74, sf.
1–GLEN SHIEL (GB), 128, g, 6, by Pivotal (GB)
1st Dam: Gonfilia (Ger) (GSW-Eng & SW-Fr, $359,409), by Big Shuffle
2nd Dam: Gonfalon (GB), by Slip Anchor (GB)
3rd Dam: Grimpola (Ger), by Windwurf (Ger)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (£45,000 5yo ’19 GOFSPR). O-Hambleton Racing XXXVI & Partner; B-Darley (GB); T-Archie Watson; J-Hollie Doyle. £221,884. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ire, SW & GSP-Fr, 27-8-7-1, $580,169. *1/2 to Signs In The Sand (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Brando (GB), 128, g, 8, Pivotal (GB)–Argent du Bois, by Silver Hawk. (52,000gns Ylg ’13 TAOCT; 115,000gns 2yo ’14 TATBRE). O-Mrs Angie Bailey; B-Car Colston Hall Stud (GB); T-Kevin Ryan. £84,121.
3–One Master (GB), 125, m, 6, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Enticing (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Lael Stable; B-Lael Stables (GB); T-William Haggas. £42,100.
Margins: NO, HF, HF. Odds: 16.00, 80.00, 5.50.
Also Ran: Art Power (Ire), Oxted (GB), Onassis (Ire), Lope Y Fernandez (Ire), Dream of Dreams (Ire), Happy Power (Ire), Sonaiyla (Ire), Speak In Colours (GB), The Tin Man (GB), Chiefofchiefs (GB), Starman (GB), Jouska (GB), Cape Byron (GB). Scratched: Dubai Station (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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