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Doyle says Major Oaks Player Nashwa is ‘Everything You Want in a Racehorse’

Hollie Doyle has described Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as being “everything you want in a racehorse” ahead of her bid to become the first female rider to win a Classic when she partners John and Thady Goden's rapidly-improving filly in the Cazoo Oaks at Epsom on Friday.

Doyle is well used to breaking boundaries at this stage, with her tally of 152 winners in 2021 surpassing her own record of winners in a calendar year for a female jockey.

She has also ridden two five-timers, became the first woman to be successful on Qipco Champions Day at Ascot and finished third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Doyle now appears to have her best chance yet of becoming the first woman to ride a British Classic winner aboard Nashwa, who is second in the betting behind stablemate Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

Taking inspiration from Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National-winning jockey Rachael Blackmore, Doyle admits it would be a huge moment for women in sport if she can strike Classic gold.

“It would be an absolute dream come true. You're always looking to progress throughout your career and it would be another box ticked,” she said.

“Like Rachael Blackmore winning the Grand National, winning a British Classic is something I dream of doing over the next 10 years or so, so if it could happen on Friday it would be great.

“Look at the reaction there was when Rachael won the Grand National. It's one of the toughest horse races in the world to win and she did that, so if I could win a British Classic it would be a dream come true for me personally and could hopefully inspire other women to get into the sport. It's a great opportunity to get a ride with a live chance.”

Seen by many as a trailblazer, Doyle has become accustomed to the extra attention that generates and insists she is fully focussed about the task in hand.

“I'm fairly used to it now. Every time I've done something new this is what happens, which is great,” she said in a Qipco British Champions Series Zoom call on Monday.

“I'm used to it and take it all in my stride. Ultimately I'm a jockey and I've got a job to do, that's how I approach it.”

Nashwa brings strong claims to the table, having built on the promise of a third-placed finish at Newmarket on her sole juvenile start with impressive wins at Haydock and Newbury this spring.

The one question that remains unanswered ahead of her appearance at Epsom is whether her stamina will last out on her first start over a mile and a half, but Doyle is optimistic.

She said, “I was very pleased with the performance at Newbury, as at Haydock I kind of gave her a no excuses ride, jumped out in the box seat and she was a little bit gassy.

“Stepping up into listed company at Newbury, I just wanted to ride her quietly to see how she'd relax and go through the gears and she relaxed beautifully-and was very responsive when I asked her.

“To me there was no definitive answer off the back of that performance whether she'd stay a mile and a half or not, but I think she ticks a lot of boxes that need ticking, so we'll find out won't we?”

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Clover to Roll The Big Dice With Rogue Millennium in the Oaks

Tom Clover enjoyed his greatest day on a racecourse when emerging star Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) advertised her Classic credentials when landing an Oaks Trial at Lingfield last month and now the trainer is looking forward to rolling the big dice at Epsom.

A Shadwell castoff who was picked up for just 35,000gns at the Mares Sale at Tattersalls last December, Rogue Millennium has already proved to be one of the finds of the season, building on her debut success at Wetherby to run out a gritty winner of the Listed SBK Oaks Trial Fillies' S. at Lingfield last month.

That win represented her trainer's biggest yet and new dreams abound with the rapidly-progressive filly who is just 16-1 to provide Clover with Classic glory when she lines out in the Cazoo Oaks on June 3.

“Rogue Millennium seems very well. I'm very pleased with her,” Clover said.

“She physically looks great. I think she's come on since Lingfield. She continues to improve and all being well she's very much on course [for the Oaks].”

Clover, who is based in Newmarket, began training in 2016 and is looking forward towards running what is officially the best horse he's had through his hands in the Oaks.

He added, “I've been very happy with her and we just hope for a smooth run-up. You know what it's like with horses, until you get there and put the saddle on and get in the paddock, there's so much that could go wrong. I'm pleased with her work and we're really excited to run her.”

John and Thady Goden appear to have a stranglehold on the Oaks with Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a short-priced 10-11 ante-post favourite, and 9-2 chance Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) heading the betting for the Epsom Classic.

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Gosden Talks Up Emily Upjohn For Oaks At Gallops Morning

John Gosden has labelled Cazoo Oaks favourite Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) as being in the same league as Taghrooda (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who he first won the Epsom Classic with in 2014, after overseeing the unbeaten filly work at the track on Monday morning.

Emily Upjohn is a general even-money shot to provide Gosden with a fourth Oaks success following a stylish victory in the G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York earlier this month.

Gosden, who shares his training licence with his son Thady, also won the Oaks with Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in 2017 and Anapurna (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in 2019, and is set to be double-handed in this year's race after Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was confirmed for Epsom on Saturday.

Speaking at the the Cazoo Derby Gallops Morning, Gosden said, “I think she [Emily Upjohn] is in the Taghrooda league. It would be silly to start talking about Enable as that would be completely over the top.”

He added, “It is her ability to travel and quicken over a trip that reminds me of Taghrooda. I know they were playing, if you like, coming down the hill at a half-speed but even the way she quickened today between the three and the two was impressive.”

Emily Upjohn has raced just three times in her career and, according to Gosden, the experience of Monday's dry run around Epsom will stand to the short-priced favourite come June 3.

Gosden said, “Frankie (Dettori) felt that for a filly who has had three races in her life it would be nice to come here and just have a look and feel of the track, which is all that you are doing as you are not trying to do any exploratory work.

“She behaved great, moved very well, got her leads right coming down the hill and quickened up nicely. I think she will come on a lot for that mentally. She is not a filly who raced a lot at two as she only had the one run at Wolverhampton, but you can see by the size of the frame of her why we were patient.”

He added, “She has filled out well and she has rather enjoyed her morning out here. I would hope she has got the speed for the Oaks as she has shown an ability to quicken. The other day in the Musidora she quickened well there at York.

“She did it well at Wolverhampton and at Sandown she sat very handy, then lengthened off the front. She has a change of gear.”

Gosden's Oaks hand is strengthened by the fact that Nashwa, a general 5-1 chance, is second only to her stablemate Emily Upjohn in the betting, with the trainer hopeful rather than confident that she will get the trip at Epsom.

He said, “They [Nashwa and Emily Upjohn] have never worked together and it won't be my intention to do so. This filly [Emily Upjohn] is guaranteed to stay a mile and a half. With Nashwa the speed she has shown it wouldn't be guaranteed she gets a mile and a half.”

Nashwa's participation in the Cazoo Oaks also throws up the possibility of a first ever Classic success for a female jockey, with Hollie Doyle set to ride.

Gosden added: “When Mr Imad Al Sagar asked me about Hollie two or three years ago I said she is a superb jockey that is very talented and horses run for her.

“She has an incredible work ethic. She reminds me a lot of Julie Krone. From my point of view she has been the ultimate jockey type and so I said it is a great idea if you retain her and he did.

“She looks at every detail of everything. She does her research properly and is a great race rider and if it came off it would be wonderful.”

He added, “You had a young lady win the US Open and that captured the imagination in this country and anything to that extent like this is particularly positive for the sport. It has had an image of being a bit crusty and clubby, but it is not.”

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Stone Age The Prime Choice for Moore

ROSEGREEN, Ireland–Ryan Moore will find it difficult to ride anything other than Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Cazoo Derby, according to Aidan O'Brien, who may be without the ace–Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB})–in his Epsom pack, but expects to run up to six colts as he bids for a record-extending ninth win in the race on June 4.

Stone Age didn't just open the door to a tilt at the Derby in winning the G3 Derby Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday, he kicked it open and announced himself as a leading player in demolishing the field and skyrocketing to a general 5-2 favourite for Epsom glory in the process.

O'Brien's breakthrough Derby winner, Galileo (Ire), charted a similar path to Epsom by winning that same Derby Trial at Leopardstown, and the master of Ballydoyle admits it could be hard for Moore to ride anything other than Stone Age next month.

“I think he [Ryan] would find it hard to not ride the horse from yesterday [Stone Age],” O'Brien said on Monday. “I imagine Ryan will find it hard not to ride him.”

Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Star Of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), impressive winners of their respective trials at Chester, Lingfield Derby Trial winner United Nations (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and 2,000 Guineas disappointment Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), will give Moore something to think about, but O'Brien revealed there would have been no decision to make if Luxembourg remained in the picture.

The long-time ante-post favourite for the Derby, Luxembourg ran a cracker to finish third in the 2,000 Guineas but has been ruled out until at least the autumn after picking up a muscular problem behind.

O'Brien explained, “I am disappointed for the lads. He is a very good horse. I don't think Ryan would have had a choice to make if he were fit.”

When a comparison was made between Luxembourg and St Nicholas Abbey (Ire), O'Brien added, “He probably has more scope than St Nicholas Abbey had. St Nick ran well in the Guineas [sixth] as well but he didn't run as well as this lad did. Luxembourg ran extremely well to make the ground up and finish third. We didn't really see what he was able to do.”

Despite not managing to win in five starts at two, O'Brien outlined how that experience stood to the new Derby favourite Stone Age, who is now unbeaten in his two starts this term and heads to Epsom as the leading Ballydoyle challenger.

O'Brien said, “It'd be hard not to be impressed with what Stone Age did at Leopardstown. You'd like to have something lead him but there was no point in messing him about. Ryan let him bowl along and he was very impressive.

“He has a lot of experience from his juvenile days. He was happy to get a lead at two. He'd have learnt a lot at two. We were running him and teaching him. He learnt a lot in those races.”

It seems somewhat ironic that O'Brien will face some of the stiffest competition in the Derby from his son Donnacha who appears to have outstanding claims of making his own breakthrough in the race with impressive Ballysax winner Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}).

Respecting the opposition, O'Brien said, “We always do our best to win no matter what. I am always happy if they [Donnacha or Joseph] beat us. They are rivals, one hundred per cent, but I am always delighted when we get beaten by them. Believe me, there's no inch given anywhere.”

O'Brien also holds the key to the Oaks and nominated Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a sister to Minding (Ire) and the general 7-2 favourite for the race, as the pick of his team for the fillies' Classic.

Tuesday overcame inexperience to finish strongly for third in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and O'Brien is convinced that there's more to come.

He said, “Tuesday doesn't turn three until the first week in June and, to be doing what she's doing is unreal. Her run in the Guineas would suggest that she's crying out for a step up in trip. She's still only a baby and we are thinking of running in the Irish Guineas and then going on to the Oaks, just like what Minding did.”

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