Hollie Doyle will take her flourishing career to new heights this weekend with her first ride in a Derby.
The 25-year-old jets out to Germany for Sunday’s Classic at Hamburg, where she teams up with Wagnis. Trained by Markus Klug, who has sent out the winner three times in the past 10 years, the filly is unbeaten in two starts.
She runs on the back of a five-length victory in the Group Three Diana Trial at Hoppegarten. The big date in Doyle’s calendar comes just two weeks after her historic triumph on Nashwa in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly.
As the first woman to win a Classic on the Flat, she would again break new ground if Wagnis, an 8-1 shot with Paddy Power, rises to the challenge. Doyle said Klug, who took top honours in both 2017 and 2018 in the 650,000 Euro contest, booked her for the ride after Nashwa’s success in France.
“It’s great to get the call up. I have never ridden in a Derby before so it’s a nice opportunity,” she added. “Wagnis is unbeaten and looked a decent filly when she won a Group Three cosily last time.”
Frankie Dettori is expected to ride Klug’s So Moonstruck.
Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: “Five-time champion UK trainer John Gosden has made no secret of his admiration for Hollie and his multiple German champion counterpart Markus Klug obviously agrees snapping her up to partner facile Oaks trial winner Wagnis.”
