Hollie Doyle savouring Championship challenge on big night at Happy Valley

Hollie Doyle is aiming to go one place better than last year when she again takes part in the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley on Wednesday, an opportunity she continues to regard as a “big honour”.

Doyle finished joint-second 12 months ago with James McDonald, behind runaway winner Mickael Barzalona. All three are back once again along with the likes of Ryan Moore, William Buick, Joao Moreira, Rachel King and Zac Purton.

Doyle is currently based in Hong Kong on a temporary licence and while she is entering the final few weeks of her spell before returning home for Christmas, she is hoping the trackcraft she has picked up stands her in good stead.

“I’ve got rides for trainers that I haven’t ridden much for, which is good as hopefully I can build some sort of relationship if things go well,” said Doyle, speaking to the Press Association.

“There’s a new system in place, in which a lot of work has gone into ensuring the draw is fair and everyone has a similar spread of rides. This year it looks a pretty level playing field, where we’ve all got pretty strong rides.

“I’ve got two last-time-out winners to ride. It is quite hard to win two on the bounce in Hong Kong as it is so competitive, but the one I ride for Casper Fownes, Mr Desira, definitely looks like he is improving.

“It’s crazy quite how competitive it is, there’s so little between many of the runners. For quite a few meetings the biggest winning margin was little more than a length, your horse can run a great race and finish sixth and be beaten a length.

“I’ve ridden here for a bit now and I think I’ve adapted quite well. Obviously it’s very different to the dynamics of British racing, it’s pretty sharp and snappy and as the handicaps are so tight there’s never really a dominant horse to set your sights on, so the jockeys often make the difference.

“If you ran many of the races three times over you’d probably get a different winner each time, that’s what it’s like out here.

“Just to be involved in this is great. I feel really lucky and privileged that the (Hong Kong) Jockey Club have asked me a few times now to do this, it’s a big honour.”

Moore, meanwhile, has only recently returned from injury, but the two-time challenge winner is raring to go.

He said: “Everyone wants to ride here, and why wouldn’t you want to be part of it?

“I’ve been coming here since I was 18 and I like Hong Kong. The racing is high quality, it’s competitive and it’s very well run.

“It’s the best that this sport has to offer in that regard.”