Carlisle wrap: Hollie Doyle rides winner at every Flat track in Britain

Hollie Doyle memorably completed the set of riding a winner at every racecourse on the Flat in Britain by steering Mostawaa to success in the historic Stablemate By Agma Carlisle Bell, the track's feature contest of the year on the level.

The seven-year-old arrived here in fine form having won each of his last two starts and he was always prominent under Doyle, finding plenty to see off the challenge of the Karl Burke-trained Liamarty Dreams by half a length and secure victory for Lambourn trainer Heather Main.

The £30,000 Carlisle Bell has a unique place in sporting history, having first been run all the way back in 1599 and boasting a 424-year history. The mile contest is also run for the oldest sporting trophy in the world - two silver bells which date even further back to 1559.

That victory completes a unique feat for Doyle, who has now ridden a winner at every single Flat track in the UK, and she revealed her delight at making the 290-mile journey from her home in Hungerford a winning one.

“It’s great to have a winner here because it’s a good atmosphere and it’s a long way to come!" she said.

“It said it in the paper that I’d only had about four rides here and I thought it was more. I used to come up for the lady riders’ meeting so I’ve had a few rides, but no winner until today.”

The rider - who partnered three Royal Ascot winners last week and become the first female rider to win a Group One race at the world-famous meeting - was complimentary about her big-race winner after the pair recorded their third win from four starts together.

“He’s turned a corner in his old age," said Doyle.

"He won at Brighton two starts ago and then he went to York and toughed it out. I got a very easy lead that day and things fell right whereas today there was plenty of pace on paper, so you just never know. He stuck to it well on soft ground and I think we can investigate going up to 10 furlongs now.

“Between the three furlong marker and the two I didn’t get much of a breather into him and we were going a good gallop. Myself and Pierre-Louis Jamin were kind of taking each other on but to be fair they both fought on well."

The £16,000 consolation race - the Jason Watson 25 Years Carlisle Bell Consolation Handicap - was won in determined style by the Susan Corbett-trained Clear Angel (7-2), who completed a double under Graham Lee having struck at Wetherby in April.

The five-year-old cost €120,000 as a yearling but has proven to be something of a slow burner for Corbett since being bought for just 1,500 guineas in February 2021.

However, he showed a good attitude to fend off the attentions of the Tim Easterby-trained Strongbowe by a head and Corbett is hopeful that things may have finally clicked into place for the son of Dark Angel.

She said: “It’s been a while in the making, as he was a very expensive yearling and then he kept having issues. We actually bought him online for 1,500 guineas but we obviously needed to do some work on him – he had a bone chip and various things. The owners have waited a while but now they’re getting their just desserts and he seems to be getting better and better.

“I told Graham (Lee) he didn’t do my stress levels any good in-running! He said he didn’t really handle the track so we’ll look to keep him on a flat and galloping track in future as he didn’t seem keen on Carlisle.

“He could still be upwardly mobile. He likes a bit of cut in the ground and we’ve been praying for rain for so long. We’ve nearly gone for races so many times and either the ground was against us, while one day he popped up with an allergy to the shampoo we used! It’s been a comedy of errors so now that we’ve finally got here it’s a lovely moment.”

Vetiver (7-2) ensured that a productive few days continued for jockey P J McDonald, after claiming Listed honours in the British Stallion Studs EBF Eternal Stakes.

The Andrew Balding-trained three year old arrived here having won two of her four starts to date – both at Beverley – though she could only finish fourth on her most recent start at Chester.

This represented a sharp rise in class for Cheveley Park Stud’s homebred daughter of Twilight Son, but despite finding herself in a pocket at the two furlong pole she found plenty for McDonald’s urgings, getting up late in the day to deny the Ralph Beckett-trained Dandy Alys.

McDonald has enjoyed an excellent week, picking up Group Two honours when winning the Hardwicke Stakes with Pyledriver at Royal Ascot on Saturday and he revealed that he was pleased with what he saw from Vetiver.

He said: “I’ve won on her a couple of times around Beverley, but this was a different ball game today. She wears a hood and she’s a free-going filly and I got into a nice enough rhythm on her.

“I was keen not to play my cards too early in the ground, because today was all about getting her into the three (places). I ended up getting myself into a little bit of a pocket but to be fair to her she’s shown some guts to put her head out and gallop through to the line.”

Elsewhere on the card was the £30,000 Stablemate By Agma Cumberland Plate Handicap over a mile and three furlongs, which saw the Mick and David Easterby-trained Two Brothers (6-1) strike under an enterprising ride by Billy Garritty.

The five-year-old arrived here having finished in the first four in each of his five starts so far this term and he was prominent throughout under Garritty, who made a decisive move around the bend for home on his mount.

That victory came at great delight to joint-winning owner Oliver Thompson, who owns the horse alongside his brother Gavin and couldn’t hide his delight at winning a marquee race at the Cumbria track with his first horse.

He said: “That was very good and we couldn’t have asked for anything more. Billy (Garritty) has given him a great ride. We spoke before and Billy said he’d make them work for it and he certainly did that.

“We were optimistic and got 25s last night! He’s named after us as two brothers and we’ve had him since he was two. We started him off at three and he’s had some ups and downs.

“He had a bad run at York which was a childhood dream for us to have a runner there as that’s our home town and then this season he’s just come into himself. He’s absolutely awesome and I think we’ve got a nice horse on our hands.

“This is our first horse. We’re related to Mick (Easterby), so it’s a nice tradition to keep it in the family. He’s found us a good one and it’s nice of him to do that.”

Meanwhile, the John Quinn-trained Due For Luck (9-1) made a winning debut in the opening Mark Nield Wealth Management Restricted Maiden Stakes, winning by two and a half lengths under Jason Hart.

Sean Quinn, assistant to his father, said: "He's always gone all right at home. We trained the mother (Vanity's Girl) and she went well at home, but never quite did it on the track.

"I saw him at the yearling sales and he's a fine beast, as you can see there.

"He's from a fast family I think he's quite quick. Jason said he's still a little bit green, so maybe we'll just go for a novice with a penalty and teach him."