Sky Sports Racing’s ambassador Hollie Doyle reflects on the six mounts she has on Betfred 2000 Guineas Day at Newmarket and offers a preview of the weekend’s Classic races, as well as a look ahead to the Ascot Trials Day on Friday. Among the rides is a promising filly from Archie Watson’s yard entered in the Listed Oddschecker Ellen Chaloner Stakes (odds 1.10) on Saturday. The filly, Paris Babe, will be one of six horses Doyle will ride on Guineas day.
Paris Babe (1.10) has a lot to prove at her assigned weight, but she showed real potential in her debut at the Fillies’ and Mares’ Championships Final at Newcastle on Good Friday. She travelled strongly, staying with the leader until she faded in the closing stages. Previously trained by Gavin Hernon in France, she won at Group level there and should relish the step back to six furlongs. Now that the sun is out, she looks glossy and healthy.
Although her official rating of 89 suggests she still has work to do, Doyle hopes she can deliver another solid performance. The race this year is markedly stronger than last year’s edition. Group winner Flora of Bermuda tops the ratings at 111, and proven Pattern performer Rosy Affair is also returning for her seasonal debut, adding depth to the field.
Another notable entry is EL BODON at 1.45 in the Class Two Betfred Handicap. He is a classy runner with a respectable turf résumé, including a second‑place finish in the Greenham Stakes as a three‑year‑old for Doyle’s husband, Tom Marquand. His most recent effort in the Sprint Final at Newcastle was well below his best, but he has shown his class with back‑to‑back wins at Kempton over the winter for trainer Jane Chapple‑Hyam.
The horse that many will be watching is Andrew Balding’s likely favourite, Double Rush. Doyle first spotted him at Newmarket’s Craven Meeting, where he displayed the speed and acceleration of a future Group sprinter. Even with a five‑pound penalty, he remains well‑handicapped and could be a real threat. In the Boodles Handicap (4.45) sits MILITARY ACADEMY, a horse tasked with carrying a lofty rating in a competitive field.
He performed admirably for John and Thady Gosden last year and has continued to pick up useful runs for Jane Chapple‑Hyam, highlighted by a close third in the Winter Derby. Doyle hopes the forecast soft ground will suit him, as his best performances have come on yielding or heavy going, and she believes a modest weight concession could allow him to finish strongly.
Eve Johnson Houghton’s KESTA begins his campaign in the Turners Handicap (4.10). Although Doyle has never ridden him, Kesta recorded three wins last season, including a victory at Nottingham in early October at this level. It remains to be seen how sharp he will be on his first start since the end of October, but his versatility on different ground types gives Doyle optimism for a respectable run.
ADVANCING, a big, attractive gelding, struggled with the two turns at Wolverhampton last month but should thrive on the more galloping mile of the National Stud Handicap (5.55). Doyle recalls a pleasant ride on him at Kempton, where he showed he could settle and make the most of a longer trip. Trainer Marco Botti’s colt possesses the stamina to stay the distance and could benefit from the expected easygoing conditions. Charlie Johnston’s THUNDER WONDER is entered in the Betfred Suffolk Stakes (2.20) at a low weight after a promising run at Musselburgh earlier in the month – his second start since being gelded.
He proved capable over nine furlongs at Edinburgh last summer, winning on a rating of 92, and Doyle thinks he will be well‑placed to improve on that effort. Looking ahead to the headline race, Doyle predicts that Aidan O’Brien could secure his 11th Betfred 2000 Guineas victory on Saturday with Gstaad (3.35). The colt, a son of Starspangledbanner, boasts a strong resume: a second‑place finish in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last autumn and a comfortable win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar after stepping up in distance. The lack of a recent run should not hinder him, given his proven ability on the Rowley Mile.
At longer odds, John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon could repeat his Craven Stakes success with a big showing, while Doyle hopes her husband Tom can extract a good performance from William Haggas’s promising four‑year‑old, Needle Match, after his respectable fourth in the Greenham. The Betfred 1000 Guineas on Sunday may turn into a duel between Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun and Ballydoyle’s striking filly True Love (both 3.35).
Venetian Sun has been in training and possesses the speed required for a Classic sprint, while True Love, last summer’s Queen Mary Stakes winner, impressed Doyle with a dominant seven‑furlong victory at Leopardstown, suggesting she can stay the mile. On Ascot’s Trials Day (Friday), the Group Three Longines Sagaro Stakes (2.35) offers a springboard for Tom Clover’s stayer Tabletalk.
The horse ran admirably in defeat in the Group Two Red Sea Turf Handicap in Riyadh in February and could improve enough to outclass seasoned campaigners Sweet William and Group One star Caballo De Mar. Doyle also has an eye on Clive Cox’s colt Coppull in the Group Three Commonwealth Cup Trial (3.10). Coppull was narrowly beaten by the favourite Wise Approach in last year’s Middle Park and could develop into a top‑class sprinter this summer under the guidance of jockey Rossa Ryan.
For the latest updates, videos, analysis and more, follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp. Godolphin’s Wise Approach set a high benchmark after his Group One breakthrough at Newmarket and should be able to confirm that form against Aidan O’Brien’s reliable Brussels. Finally, Doyle is intrigued by Remmooz’s prospects in the Listed Membership At Ascot Paradise Stakes (3.45) for trainer Owen Burrows. The four‑year‑old claimed a Listed win at Newbury in September and was a solid runner‑up to Volterra in the Doncaster Mile, so it will be interesting to see how the Blue Point son handles the Ascot test.
Hollie Doyle discussed these insights with Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft.