Royal Ascot: Hollie Doyle strikes on day one as Bradsell wins Coventry Stakes for Archie Watson | Racing News

Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle became the most successful female rider at Royal Ascot with victory on Bradsell in the Coventry Stakes on day one of the five-day meeting.

A wide-margin winner of his only previous start at York, the Archie Watson-trained juvenile was an 8/1 chance under his record-breaking jockey.

Royal Scotsman came out of the pack to throw down the only serious challenge, while the well-fancied Persian Force got going too late as he came out of the pack to claim third. Favourite Blackbeard (5/2) was only fourth.

It is Doyle’s third Royal Ascot victory – following successes on Scarlet Dragon (2020) and Amtiyaz (2021) – taking her one clear of Hayley Turner.

Not wanting to rest on her laurels, Doyle was quick to brush off her new record, telling Sky Sports Racing: “It’s nice for now!”

Doyle said: “It was an impressive performance. He got squeezed out of the gates which was frustrating.

On Bradsell’s effort, she added: “He jumped okay and I got squeezed for room early on which wasn’t ideal but I just let him recover naturally.

“Throughout, I was ever so worried I was on the wrong side. I gave him a good squeeze and he really responded well. His instant response surprised me because he can be a little lazy at home.”

Watson added: “I was saying to my fiance Brodie (Hampson) last night when I was looking through the race that anything able to win it by daylight would be a superstar and that is exactly what he has gone and done.

“I’m just delighted, this is the place everyone wants to have winners. We won the Windsor Castle a few years ago with Soldier’s Call and we had a bad old time last year with Dragon Symbol (demoted by stewards) and then we lost the horse, so for us this is massive.”