Hollie Doyle: Jockey claims historic Hong Kong race win

Image source, Hong Kong Jockey Club

Image caption, Hollie Doyle won the fourth and final race, in which her boyfriend Tom Marquand finished third
  • Author, Frank Keogh
  • Role, 成人快手 Sport

Hollie Doyle became the first woman to ride a winner at the International Jockeys' Championship in Hong Kong.

The 24-year-old capped a landmark year with victory in the final race of the competition aboard Harmony N Blessed.

Doyle was joint third overall in the event, won by Australia's Zac Purton.

In 2020, Doyle has broken her own British record for winners ridden in a year by a woman and was the first female rider to have five winners at one meeting.

"It's absolutely unbelievable. I knew I had a good chance on this horse, but you need a lot of things to go right," she said after her Hong Kong win.

The four-race event sees 12 of the world's top jockeys competing.

Two women had previously taken part - Emma-Jayne Wilson in 2007 and Chantal Sutherland two years later - but neither won a race.

Harmony N Blessed, trained by David Hayes, was the 11-10 favourite. Doyle finished ahead of the Ryan Moore-ridden Grateful Heart in second, with her boyfriend Tom Marquand third on Wind N Grass.

"It's a huge privilege for Tom and I to be asked to ride here after a great season and it's the icing on the cake," she said.