Posted on 13th June 2023
On Sunday, 11 June 2023, National Horseracing College alumni, Hollie Doyle, became the first female rider to win the Group 2 Oaks d’ Italia.
The record-breaking 26-year-old jockey dashed on Saturday evening from Lingfield Park Racecourse where she had ridden a winner, to San Siro Racecourse, Milan to partner Shavasana for trainer Stefano Botti, before returning to Lingfield on Monday afternoon to ride a double. There was little time for sightseeing.
Hollie’s glittering international CV includes winning the Classic, Prix de Diane, in addition to high-profile wins in Qatar, Germany and Hong Kong. Last winter she enjoyed a spell in Japan.
After Sunday’s triumph, Hollie said, “I’d never ridden at San Siro before. I went out and had a pretty good look at the track – it was a lovely course to ride. It was one of their biggest racedays and everyone was really passionate and I think they were happy for me to be there. I was made to feel very welcome.”
Herefordshire-born Hollie set a new record for winners ridden (116 victories) in a British season by a female jockey in 2019. She came third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award in 2020 and was also named The Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year. In 2022 she became the first female jockey to win a French Classic and the first female jockey to win a European Group 1 Classic when she rode Nashwa to victory in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly. In 2022, she came joint second in the Flat Jockeys’ Championship, the highest result for a woman to date.
Hollie achieved her Level 2 Equine Groom Apprenticeship (Racing) in August 2015.
