Hollie Doyle’s Appeal Against Suspension: Will She Ride at the Breeders’ Cup?

In a surprising turn of events, jockey Hollie Doyle is set to face a disciplinary panel next week in her appeal against a seven-day suspension imposed by the British Horseracing Authority. The outcome of this hearing will determine whether she can participate in the prestigious Breeders’ Cup.

The ban was incurred during a race on Monday evening at Kempton, where Doyle rode Rose Light under trainer Jonathan Portman’s guidance. Her riding style came under scrutiny when she was found to have cut across multiple rivals early on in the 11-furlong contest.

According to the stewards report, “Doyle was suspended for seven days for careless riding as she allowed her mount to shift right-handed when insufficiently clear of Flying Circus on her inside, causing (Neil) Callan to take a significant check to avoid clipping heels which resulted in Sindri, Page Three and Typical Woman being tightened for room and losing their respective racing positions.”

At present, Doyle’s suspension is scheduled from October 30th until November 4th. As there is no Flat racing in Britain on November 5th, her ban extends to include that day as well. However, if she succeeds in having her punishment reduced to five days or less through her appeal process, it would open up an opportunity for her to ride Bradsell in the highly anticipated Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on November 4th.