James Doyle partners Belgian Bill to victory in Royal Hunt Cup – Horseracing news
James Doyle had a wonderful day at the Royal Ascot, winning a few important races, one of which came with Belgian Bill in the Royal Hunt Cup.
The seasoned rider had never won any race at this venue before, but he was delighted with the results yesterday, especially with a runner like Belgian Bill, who was not seen as a potential winner by the bookies.
He entered the contest with a starting price of 33 to 1 and failed to put any pressure on his opponents at the starting stages. However, his speed got better as the race progressed and he was eventually in a very good position. No one managed to trouble
him inside the final furlong and he secured a victory by a comfortable margin of almost one length.
The five-year-old horse had appeared in the same competition one year ago, but was unable to make an impression back then.
Moreover, his form in the ongoing season was below par, which suggested that he would end up struggling. Despite that, he handled the pressure really nicely and was given a terrific ride by his partner.
After the race, Doyle said about his challenger, “He was well-fancied for this race last year and he has dropped a long way in the weights. He ran some good races in Dubai over the winter and I thought he had a chance of making the frame. The race worked
out perfect. I got stopped a little and I think he enjoyed it.”
On the other hand, the winning trainer George Baker was really pleased with the performance of his jockey and praised him by saying, “James is a jockey in fantastic form - he gave him (Belgian Bill) a lovely ride. He's been a fantastic old handicapper and
has taken us round the world. We've been training almost five years and he's been here from the start.”
After causing this upset at Ascot, Belgian Bill will definitely be sent into a few more important events this year. He has shown very good stamina in the one mile races and it will not be a good idea to risk him in anything above that.
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