Breeders’ Cup: Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle says Nashwa and The Platinum Queen rides a dream | Racing News

Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle could be on the verge of the biggest weekend of her burgeoning career when she rides favourites Nashwa and The Platinum Queen at the Breeders’ Cup in Keeneland.

Nashwa ready for date with destiny

Riding two favourites at this year’s Breeders’ Cup is beyond my wildest dreams. In fact, it’s mental! The excitement trackside at Keeneland is on another scale and it was a great buzz to be out there early on Thursday morning to put my Oaks heroine NASHWA through her paces.

I gave her a breeze around the training track alongside Frankie Dettori on Mishriff, just to get them used to changing leads and going left-handed, and both horses stretched out nicely, which pleased their trainer John Gosden.

It was a great opportunity for me to get a feel for the place following a long flight from Japan. It took 11 hours from Tokyo to Chicago and then another four to Lexington from there. On top of that, there’s a 13-hour time difference to adjust to, but after a quiet day resting up on Wednesday the adrenaline was soon pumping.

Everything seems in place for Nashwa to run a big race in the Grade One Makers Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (5.50) on Saturday. John and Thady (Gosden) have prepared her immaculately, as you’d expect, and I’m looking forward to her proud owner Imad Alsagar arriving on Friday morning to soak up the atmosphere.

The good ground should suit my filly and although it’s a tight track, the bends are quite sweeping – and we do have a nice draw in stall 3. It’s going to be imperative to jump well and get a good early position, and after that I’m hoping her class will tell.

Wide draw a challenge for The Platinum Queen

THE PLATINUM QUEEN has already written her name into the record books after becoming the first two-year-old to win the Prix de l’Abbaye since 1978, but she could be on the brink of something even bigger on Friday evening.

Middleham Park’s flying filly is deservedly ante-post favourite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (7.00) and, like Nashwa, has taken the flight and adjusting to being based on the track in her stride.

Her wide draw in stall 12 isn’t ideal, but as her trainer Richard Fahey says, the sweeping bends should help her. The American horses drawn inside of her are lightning fast from the gates so we must jump well, but she is blessed with blinding natural speed herself.

Winning the Abbaye on the daughter of Cotai Glory was one of the highlights of my career and it was a thrill to be second on her in the Nunthorpe too. The fact she has run with such distinction against older sprinters must be in her favour – we’re just going to need some luck on the night.

Flotus drawn well in red-hot Turf Sprint

It’s great to be given the ride on Simon and Ed Crisford’s filly FLOTUS in the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (4.29) on Saturday – one of the most exciting races of the night.

She’s well drawn in stall 2 but will need to be sharper than she was in the Abbaye to match strides with some brilliant sprinters, including Highfield Princess.

Jason Hart, who rides John Quinn’s remarkable filly, is a good friend of mine and if Flotus can’t spring a surprise, I’d love to see him go home a Breeders’ Cup winner. He’d never ridden a Group One winner until she took the Maurice de Gheest for him in the summer and two more quickly followed in the Nunthorpe at York and the Flying Five in Ireland.

The two of us were planning to relax away from the hustle bustle of the racetrack by visiting Coolmore’s breeding operation on Thursday afternoon, which I was really looking forward to.

Mishriff among strong European contingent in Turf

It would be emotional if Nashwa’s stable companion Mishriff could bring the curtain down on an amazing career with a big performance in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (8.40).

John (Gosden) seems happy with his preparation, and he looked in great order for Frankie on the training track alongside me on Thursday morning. However, it does appear that Charlie Appleby holds the key to the race with both Nations Pride and Rebel’s Romance, who have both been winning on the international stage.

Nations Pride has American form on his CV, notably winning the Saratoga Derby under his big race jockey William Buick in August, but I’d love to see James Doyle ride a Breeders’ Cup winner after a frustrating time last year.

Rebel’s Romance won a Group One in Germany in preparation for this and has a good draw in stall 5 as he seeks a fifth consecutive win.

Unbeaten Flightline all the rage

All the talk trackside on Thursday morning was about John Sadler’s unbeaten colt Flightline, who will be all the rage in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (9.40).

I haven’t seen him in the flesh but saw a video of him working on the track and he looks a fine, imposing horse, whose remarkable Grade One wins in the Met at Belmont and the Pacific Classic at Del Mar seem to set him apart from his rivals.

Nevertheless, it’s going to be a great finale with Grade One Woodward Stakes hero Life Is Good and Travers Stakes winner Epicenter taking him on in the form of their lives. What a way to end what I hope will be an unforgettable night!

Back to Japan on Sunday

I’ll be flying back to Japan on Sunday to resume my two-month stint in Tokyo and am already looking forward to my next rides after getting a taste of race riding out there for the first time last weekend.

I can’t wait to get that all-important first winner on the board but may have to be patient, as they don’t race every day like we do in Britain.

The Japanese are very warm and friendly and have made both my husband Tom (Marquand) and I feel so welcome and valued. Hopefully a winner will make me even more popular!