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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Nick Robson, PA & Darragh Culhane

Hollie Doyle odds-on favourite to replace Frankie Dettori as John and Thady Gosden's retained rider

Hollie Doyle has been named as favourite to replace Frankie Dettori as the next retained rider for John and Thady Gosden after the shock news on Thursday.

Dettori said he was left in the dark about the decision and has just one ride on Saturday at Newmarket after the shock news broke.

Dettori will be on the sidelines as the trainer has given James Doyle the job of scooping the £45,368 first prize. Robert Havlin teams up with Stowell, a horse Dettori regularly rides and finished sixth on in the Copper Horse Stakes at Royal Ascot last week.

READ MORE: Frankie Dettori will not ride for John Gosden at Newmarket this weekend

And Hollie Doyle, whose father is from Tipperary, is now the bookmakers favourite to be the next retained rider after Betfair opened odds on the job.

Having partnered Nashwa to success in the Prix de Diane for the Gosdens last Sunday, she has been installed as favourite at 4-11 ahead of James Doyle (no relation) who's odds have been slashed from 7-1 to 9-2 while Oisin Murphy is 7-1 and Colin Keane is 10-1.

“Off the back of reports that Frankie Dettori won’t be riding any of the Gosden runners in Newmarket, we have offered betting on who would replace him as stable jockey should the Calrehaven team wish to do so,” said Betfair spokesman Barry Orr.

“With John Gosden having spoken so effusively about Hollie Doyle and her considerable talent on more than one occasion, she is a red-hot favourite to land the plum job that would see her and her husband, Tom Marquand, become the first power couple of Newmarket.

“Irish champion Colin Keane is also an interesting proposition, but it could take a lot to lure him away from Ger Lyons.”

The news comes after a testing Royal Ascot meeting for the Gosdens and Dettori.

Dettori came in for pointed criticism from Gosden senior following his ride on Stradivarius in the Gold Cup, and in the next race when the Queen’s Saga failed by a head to catch Thesis in the Britannia Stakes.

While it is not unusual for Dettori to miss the midweek action, he was expected to pick up where he left off this weekend.

Dettori’s manager Peter Burrell told the PA news agency: “We’re in the dark and searching for answers like everybody else.”

Brian Hughes also still believes in Dettori, saying he doesn't become a bad jockey overnight.

Speaking for Novibet.ie, he said: "Frankie Dettori didn’t have the best week and it’ll hurt him more than anyone. Jockeys are always the first to get it in the neck if the horses haven’t performed and in racing it’s a fine line between hero and villain.

"Frankie is a world class rider and it’s very easy for people to judge, whether they’re sitting watching the telly or stood in the stands, and I’m not directing that at anyone but in races you make split second decisions, sometimes they’re the right ones and sometimes they’re the wrong ones.

"He’s achieved a lot more than most jockeys ever will and probably not many people could achieve half of what he has.

"If he’s made a mistake, I’m sure he’ll know he’s made a mistake.

"Tensions are obviously flared in the heat of battle and things are said that are then amplified in the press. I’m sure when the dust settles it’ll all be fine."

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