James Doyle thrilled to reunite with Shaquille

James Doyle Relishes Reunion with Shaquille in Betfair Sprint Cup

James Doyle is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to be reunited with speedball Shaquille as they aim for a Group One hat-trick in the upcoming Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday. The talented jockey rode the Charm Spirit colt in his first two starts of an action-packed three-year-old campaign, securing victory in a Newmarket handicap and then triumphing in the Listed Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury.

Due to his commitments with Godolphin, Doyle was unable to ride Shaquille in both the Commonwealth Cup and July Cup. However, despite missing out on these races, he managed to achieve remarkable comebacks after initially falling behind his rivals by a significant margin. In both instances, Shaquille recovered under Doyle’s skilled guidance and ultimately overtook his competitors at Ascot and Newmarket.

Now free to partner with Shaquille once more, following a successful stalls session at trainer Julie Camacho’s North Yorkshire base last month, Doyle remains optimistic that their partnership can solidify their position as this season’s top-speed duo.

The Calm Before the Storm

“During York week I had the chance to sit on him,” shared Doyle during a press call organized by QIPCO British Champions Series. “We took him out onto Malton gallops there and put him through his paces within the stalls.”

The presence of specialist horsemen Craig and Jake Witherford provided valuable assistance throughout this preparatory exercise while employing a stalls rug. This experience allowed Doyle to witness firsthand how different Shaquille is when surrounded by familiar surroundings:

“The team had described him as being completely different when based at home – something difficult to imagine until I experienced it myself. He truly is a calm and composed character in his natural environment, and it was refreshing to witness that side of him.”

Making Strides on the Track

Doyle further noted Shaquille’s progression in how he handles himself during preliminaries on the track:

“In terms of going to post, he has been foot perfect. He has really matured in this aspect and demonstrates great composure while doing all the necessary things correctly.”

However, it is within the stalls where Shaquille can prove somewhat troublesome. Despite bunny-hopping out at his last two outings, Doyle emphasizes that with proper schooling, these difficulties can be overcome.

A Promising Future

In preparation for Saturday’s Betfair Sprint Cup, Doyle acknowledges that as they face weight-for-age allowances catching up with them, securing a clean start becomes crucial. Although missing the break could complicate matters given their reduced advantage without additional weight relief from previous races’ conditions. Nevertheless, Doyle firmly believes in Shaquille’s exceptional abilities:

“I genuinely have faith in this horse’s engine; hence I think he could still perform well even if he missed the break and initially trailed behind other horses. However, not having as much weight would certainly make things more challenging.”

Naturally disappointed about not being aboard for Shaquille’s two previous victories – finishing ninth behind him at Royal Ascot – Doyle relied on updates from stalls handlers when they achieved success once again at Newmarket’s July Festival.

“I had other commitments at Ascot which prevented me from watching closely during the July Cup race itself,” admitted Doyle.