James Doyle: the inside track on my key Royal Ascot rides

Twelve months on from his excellent four-timer at Royal Ascot, the excitement is mounting for James Doyle ahead of the latest instalment of the summer highlight.

Having ridden for some of the biggest names in the sport throughout his glittering career in the saddle, the Wathnan Racing number one is no stranger to the pressure the Flat season’s premier meeting brings.

And after excelling in his first season donning the old gold and peacock blue silks of the Wathnan operation who cherish Royal Ascot success above all else, Doyle is relishing this year’s action at the Berkshire track with some talented youngsters and high-class acquisitions to look forward to.

“We look like we’ve got a nice team and there has been a few welcome additions,” said Doyle.

“Last year was great and I wouldn’t say there is more pressure this year, as there is always great pressure to perform and get winners at Royal Ascot and every year it is huge pressure.

“We’ve had a couple of two-year-olds step up to the plate and obviously Zelaina won nicely at Nottingham and there’s Postmodern for Hamad (Al Jehani) and Underwriter for Archie (Watson), so we’ve a decent group of youngsters.

“We’re all well aware how difficult it is to win at Royal Ascot, everyone knows how tough it can be, but we’re looking forward to it, quietly hopeful and would be pretty pleased with the team we have going there.”

Last year’s Ascot quadruple for the 37-year-old took his Royal meeting tally to 22, with Karl Burke proving the right man to have on side in the juvenile contests in 2024.

The Spigot Lodge handler gave Doyle the leg-up on both Shareholder (Norfolk Stakes) and Leovanni (Queen Mary Stakes) and the duo could be poised to repeat the dose with the aforementioned Zelaina, who is the shortest-priced of all the owner’s candidates in Berkshire.

The daughter of Mehmas has already followed in the footsteps of Leovanni by winning the same Nottingham maiden in impressive fashion and if Doyle’s smile upon returning to the Colwick Park paddock was not a big enough clue, Zelaina’s Queen Mary odds of 7-4 suggest the filly – whose name has Greek origins and means the moon or brightness – could shine for Doyle on the grandest stage.

Doyle said: “Leovanni won the exact same race before going on to win the Queen Mary and I think this filly clocked a marginally quicker time on what I felt was slower ground than what Leovanni won on at Nottingham, so that has to give you a bit of confidence.

“She’s quite hot so we have a bit of work to do with her in the prelims just to keep the lid on her but if she can turn up there nice and relaxed, you would be hopeful she could run a big race. It’s always difficult to compare yours to what you might be up against but I don’t think I would be swapping this filly, that’s for sure.”

Away from the juveniles, Doyle has plenty of big names to enjoy, with the likes of last year’s Jersey Stakes winner Haatem back for more in the Wolferton Stakes and Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Fallen Angel a short price for Duke of Cambridge glory.

However, it could be the French contingent which provides Doyle with a couple of aces in his pack, as the rider is eagerly anticipating the chance to partner Map Of Stars (Francis-Henri Graffard, Prince of Wales’s Stakes) and new Wathnan recruit Lazzat (Jerome Reynier, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes) in their respective Ascot assignments.

“Lazzat is a hell of an addition to the squad and we’re lucky to get our hands on him,” said Doyle.

“He looks pretty good doesn’t he? He hasn’t done much wrong in his career and was just touched off in Australia and then bolted up in his prep run for Ascot.

“Then Map Of Stars, he is a horse I really like and I know his wins in the first two runs of the season weren’t particularly strong races, but his last run in the Ganay he was unfortunate not to beat Sosie and he is obviously a very good horse who has since come out and won the Prix d’Ispahan.

“That was a nice form boost for him and I think Map Of Stars is a really exciting horse, who I think will keep progressing and whose best days are still to come.”