Doyle stays in the saddle Down Under
JOCKEY James Doyle is to continue his role as Godolphin’s main jockey in Australia for the foreseeable future, limiting the time he will be riding in Britain this summer. Doyle was moved Down Under when Godolphin’s previous main jockey in the country, James McDonald, picked up an 18-month ban after pleading guilty to breaking the rules in 2015 by placing a bet. McDonald, who was released from his contract with Sheik Mohammed’s Godolphin operation in December, has enjoyed successful stints in Britain and last year briefly rode here during June and July, winning 19 times from 95 rides. It is envisaged Doyle will follow the same pattern. Godolphin chief executive John Ferguson said: ‘James has done very well while he’s been in Australia. He will probably do the same as what James McDonald did and ride here for a couple of months in the summer.’ Doyle, 28, broke his wrist and damaged his knee in a fall at Randwick racecourse in Sydney last month but he is due to return to action this weekend. Doyle’s position within the Godolphin operation had seemed to be in limbo after the move by Saeed bin Suroor, one of Godolphin’s two trainers in Newmarket, to no longer use him as its No 1 rider. William Buick, Godolphin’s other British jockey, is linked to Godolphin’s other Newmarket trainer Charlie Appleby. Bin Suroor has a number of runners on Saturday’s Dubai World Cup card, where the jockeys he will use include Christophe Soumillon, Oisin Murphy and Silvestre de Sousa. Prize Money — in the Sheema Classic — and Move Up, Bin Suroor’s runners in the two biggest races on the card, will both be ridden by Adrie de Vries. Bob Baffert’s Arrogate, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, heads the field for the $10million World Cup.