Hollie Doyle has shared her thoughts for the first time following the end of her tenure as the top rider for owner-breeder Imad Al Sagar.
As the most successful female jockey in Britain, Doyle achieved over 1,000 victories in the UK, making history by winning the French Oaks, Prix de Diane, in 2022 aboard Nashwa, a filly bred and owned by Al Sagar. Nashwa played a significant role in Doyle’s career, securing three Group 1 wins including the Nassau and Falmouth Stakes before retiring.
In 2020, at the age of 28, Doyle was named Al Sagar’s inaugural retained jockey, notching up 38 wins in that capacity. Her most recent race for the owner at Newbury saw her finish a close second on Rouane in a novice race for two-year-old fillies.
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Champion jockey Oisin Murphy is set to ride Gamrai at Windsor on Monday, a colt trained by John and Thady Gosden, where he is expected to be the second favorite in a maiden race. Murphy will now primarily ride as the first jockey when not required by Qatar Racing, following a strategic shift in connections.
Imad Al Sagar’s racing manager, Teddy Grimthorpe, explained that a change in strategy led to the decision to transition to Oisin Murphy as the main jockey, concluding a successful five-year partnership with Hollie Doyle. Al Sagar personally spoke to Doyle about the change, expressing gratitude for her contributions and hoping to maintain a relationship with her.
In her recent blog post for At The Races, Doyle expressed her disappointment upon learning about the end of her retainer with Imad Al Sagar. She reflected on their fruitful collaboration over the past five years, highlighted by numerous victories, including prestigious wins at Royal Ascot and the Prix de Diane, praising Al Sagar for the invaluable opportunity he provided early in her career and wishing the team continued success in the future.