Doyle Could Follow BC Success of Krone, Napravnik

Hollie Doyle, having set European Thoroughbred racing alight with her achievements, now has an opportunity to do so in America at the Nov. 4-5 Breeders' Cup at Keeneland.

The 26-year-old British jockey has already become one of the top riders across the Atlantic, though her focus is now on a couple of other continents. Besides riding this week in Lexington, she is set for a two-month stint riding in Japan.

She has three mounts at Breeders' Cup, riding ace 2-year-old filly The Platinum Queen  in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) on Friday, followed by Saturday rides on longshot Flotus  in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) and star 3-year-old Nashwa  in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T). The Platinum Queen and Nashwa are favored.

In pairing with Nashwa to win the Prix de Diane Longines (GT) in June at Chantilly, she became the first female to win a French classic and the first British female jockey to win a European classic.

Doyle could make further history this week. The only females to have won Breeders' Cup races on the flat are Americans Julie Krone and Rosie Napravnik, meaning Doyle could become the first foreign female rider to win such a Breeders' Cup race. 

(Before these riders, Blythe Miller took the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase Stakes (NSA-G1T) on All Gong in 2000 at Far Hills when that race was staged separately from the Breeders' Cup that year at Churchill Downs.)

Though Krone and Napravnik retired before Doyle began riding, "I've heard plenty about them. They're big names over here," she said from the Keeneland backstretch Thursday morning.

WATCH: Doyle Discusses Riding at Breeders' Cup, Her Mounts This Year at Keeneland

Doyle could also become the first female rider to win on turf. Krone and Napravnik's scored their victories on dirt.

"To be here with such live chances is a really a blessing. So I'm hoping we can come away with the right result," she said.

This marks her second Breeders' Cup appearance. Two years ago at Keeneland, she guided Mighty Gurkha  to an 11th-place finish in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

"We had no luck that day, but it was good because I'm now familiar with the track and the surroundings. It was good to get that under my belt," she said.

She familiarized herself with other parts of Keeneland Thursday morning, galloping Nashwa for trainer John Gosden through the morning fog over the local training track, and later took out another horse for morning training. Following Gosden's instructions, Doyle placed Imad Alsagar's Nashwa about 50 yards behind galloping stablemate Mishriff , who prepped Thursday for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) under legendary jockey Frankie Dettori, a 14-time Breeders' Cup winner. 

Nashwa Under @holliedoyle ⁦@BreedersCup⁩ pic.twitter.com/ZbdRDCnzBX

— Byron King (@BH_BKing) November 3, 2022

"She reminds me a lot of Julie Krone, has that sort of serious determination, as well—which Julie took to some levels," Gosden said, smiling. "But look, she's a talented rider, of course."

Gosden raved about her as a rider and a horsewoman, believing her ready for the Breeders' Cup stage.

"Of course it's a big leap for her, but she's capable of taking it," he said.

Though Flotus will be a longshot, just as Mighty Gurkha was in 2020, her other Breeders' Cup mounts are leading contenders.

"I'm really looking forward to getting on them," Doyle said. "Nashwa's obviously got a great chance. We got a really encouraging draw (post 3), and I sat on her this morning, and she's taken the trip well. That's good.

"And The Platinum Queen—I haven't sat on her today, but the guys are really pleased with how she's taken to it all. Unfortunately not blessed with a great draw (post 12), but hopefully we can overcome that."

Middleham Park Racing XV's The Platinum Queen, a group 1 winner against older horses this year while in receipt of a large weight break, is back along 2-year-olds Friday. What the Cotai Glory  filly hasn't done is race around a turn, having competed only in straightaway races in Europe.

Doyle isn't concerned about how the Richard Fahey trainee will react to that new experience, even breaking from the outside.

"I think she'll be absolutely fine. She does have a tendency to run around a little bit, but that tends to be under pressure," she said. "I'm sure Mr. Fahey would have schooled her in preparation for it."

Win or lose, Doyle, who placed third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award in 2020, is likely to receive a warm reception from the Breeders' Cup crowd, and potentially make some new fans, this time in the U.S. 

"I've been getting loads of support everywhere around the world, really," she said. "It's really nice to see. I'm really thankful for it."