Glen Shiel Pointing to Diamond Jubilee

Group 1 winner Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who won the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. to give regular jockey Hollie Doyle her first Group 1, is being aimed at the June 19 G1 Diamond Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot. The 7-year-old gelding, who is trained by Archie Watson for Hambleton Racing Xxxvi & Partner most recently ran fourth in the G2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands S. at The Curragh on May 22.

Hambleton Racing Head Racing Manager Cosmo Charlton said,  “We were happy enough with that for his first run of the year. He was always going to come on a bit. Although he handles heavy ground, obviously the meeting was nearly abandoned. First time back on that ground, Hollie [Doyle] felt he'd come on for the run–and I thought he might just have been on the wrong part of the track as well.

“I think there were a combination of factors–and under a penalty first time out, it was no penalty kick. He could have got away with it, but it didn't quite pan out.

“It was very much a prep, and it's all systems go for Ascot now. He certainly handles plenty of cut, but Archie [Watson] has made it very clear that decent ground won't be a problem for him.”

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Quartet of Lesters Nominations for Hollie Doyle

Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Hollie Doyle, who is also a nominee for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, has been nominated for four Lesters Awards, leading all nominations. Seven Lesters are voted on by members of the Professional Jockeys Association, with the Flat Ride of the Year picked by Racing TV viewers and the Jump Ride of the Year selected by Sky Sports Racing Viewers. Polls have closed and all winners will be announced during a live show at 6 p.m. on Sky Sports Racing on Dec. 22.

Doyle, alongside partner Tom Marquand, champion jockey Oisin Murphy and William Buick are up for Flat Jockey of the Year. Her ride aboard Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) in the G1 British Champions Sprint S., her first Group 1 win, is a nominee for Flat Ride of the Year; while she is also up for Female Jockey of the Year alongside Nicola Currie, Bridget Andrews and Megan Nicholls. Finally, Doyal is also nominated for the Flat Jockey Special Recognition Award with Joe Fanning, Robert Havlin and Paul Hanagan.

Champion Jumps jockey Brian Hughes, Richard Johnson, Aidan Coleman and Harry Cobden are in the running for Jump Jockey of the Year. The Jump Jockey Special Recognition Award’s nominees are Leighton Aspell, Adam Nicol, Wayne Hutchinson and Andrew Tinkler.

Dale Gibson, PJA executive director (Racing), said, “Like other awards ceremonies, we were unable to host a Lesters Awards ceremony due to the pandemic so we were delighted when Sky Sports Racing agreed to produce another Lesters special, as they did in 2019.

“Having been lucky enough to win two Lesters myself I know how much it means so on behalf of the PJA and our members, I would like to congratulate all of the nominees and wish them the very best of luck.”

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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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Glen Shiel Targets Champions Sprint

Group winner Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) will resurface in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. on British Champions Day Oct. 17. A good second in the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup S. at Haydock on Saturday, the chestnut won the Aug. 9 G3 Rathasker Stud Phoenix Sprint S. for trainer Archie Watson and Hambleton Racing.

“He was a very shrewd buy at £45,000 and took another step forward at Haydock, showing he can compete against the best in Group 1 races,” said Watson. “Champions Day at Ascot will be next with him and we’ll hold no fears whatever the ground is.”

Glen Shiel’s jockey Hollie Doyle was similarly bullish on her mount’s chances, “Glen Shiel ran his heart out in the Sprint Cup and thrived on the slow ground. It’s great that Hambleton Racing have found a horse like this to take them to the big meetings. After his performance on Saturday, I’m looking forward to Champions Day even more now.”

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