Hollie Doyle blog: Trio of rides for Sky Sports Racing ambassador at Royal Ascot including Tempus in Royal Hunt Cup | Racing News

Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle assesses the chances of her three rides on day two of the Royal Meeting and expects a big run from Bay Bridge in the Group 1 feature, the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

Classy Tempus to run well in Hunt Cup

The best of my three rides for my boss Archie Watson on Wednesday must be the classy TEMPUS in the Royal Hunt Cup, a traditional cavalry charge over the straight mile.

This five-year-old has a proper engine as he proved when finishing second in two Listed races in the build-up to this race and is a much better horse than his big odds suggest.

The son of Kingman out-ran his rating to chase home Chindit at Doncaster in the spring and almost certainly bettered that by chasing home Charlie Appleby’s smart Modern News at Windsor.

He handled fast ground that day so will hopefully act on it again and his middle draw in stall 16 gives me options. Although he’s a handy type, I won’t be trying to make too much use of him as I want to give him the chance to finish his race off strongly.

Eddie open to improvement in Windsor Castle

Middleham Park Racing’s owners will enjoy having a runner in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes (5.35) – a race Archie won in 2018 with Soldier’s Call.

They are represented by EDDIE’S BOY, who built on his debut win on the Southwell Tapeta when he got within a length of the highly regarded winner in conditions company at Musselburgh.

A son of Havana Grey, he has been working nicely in the build up to this race and is open to improvement, particularly with the addition of cheekpieces which should just help his concentration.

Later, I’m hoping the step up to one mile will help Talabaat rediscover her form in the Kensington Palace Stakes (6.10) after a couple of below-par performances. She’s among the outsiders, however, and will need a bit of luck from a tricky draw in stall 13.

Disappointed to lose Saffron ride

Losing the ride on Jane Chapple-Hyam’s SAFFRON BEACH in the Group Two Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (4.20) is really disappointing.

I rode her in a racecourse gallop at Chelmsford City recently in preparation for this race and was looking forward to continuing my association with her after finishing such a creditable fourth in the Dubai Turf.

Although I won’t be on board in the mile feature I still hope to see William Buick give her connections a day to remember. She’s a lovely filly who will arrive at Ascot in great shape and is the one they all have to beat.

Bay Bridge set for starring role

Master trainer Sir Michael Stoute deserves great credit for the way he’s handled BAY BRIDGE, who I’d love to see win the Group One Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (3.40).

There’s no finer combination than Sir Michael and Ryan Moore who rode him so beautifully to win the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown, where he showed a serious turn of foot.

Their patience with this colt is really beginning to pay off and he’s rising through the rankings so effortlessly as a result. It’s only back in October that he won a York handicap but here he is playing a starring role in a Group One.

By contrast, Lord North has already built an illustrious CV which includes a win in this race two years ago but he appears to be somewhat overlooked. I thought he showed all his old sparkle in the Group One Dubai Turf and wasn’t beaten far in Ireland last month so don’t write him off.

Queen Mary bid for Dramatised

Although I don’t have a ride in the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes (2.30), I’m intrigued to see how Karl Burke’s exciting filly DRAMATISED acquits herself in a fascinating renewal.

Owned by Clipper Logistics, she was one of the first two-year-olds to really impress me this season when she won her only previous start in a maiden at Newmarket back in April.

I rode in that race and admired the way she powered clear to win by over four lengths in a decent time, beating a filly of George Boughey’s called Malrescia who paid the form a huge compliment by winning her next two races.

Even though Karl won the Listed Marygate Stakes at York’s Dante Festival with the same owner’s Pillow Talk a few weeks later, this filly has always been their main hope for the Queen Mary and it’s going to take a lightning-fast filly to deny her.

Hollie Doyle was speaking to Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft.

Watch every race of Royal Ascot 2022 live on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 535) from Tuesday 14th June to Saturday 18th June.