Hollie Doyle’s blog: Army Ethos and Folgaria ready for Newbury tests

It is a big weekend for Hollie Doyle, who has key rides in both Classic trials at Newbury on Saturday – live on Sky Sports Racing – including Coventry Stakes runner-up Army Ethos.

Hoping Army can march to Greenham success

It has been a long road back for Army Ethos, who puts his Classic credentials on the line in the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at Newbury on Saturday – live on Sky Sports Racing.

Archie Watson’s colt suffered a setback after finishing a gallant second in last summer’s Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, confirming himself among the most exciting two-year-olds in the country.

Victorious Racing and Fawzi Nass’ son of Shalaa appeared to need the run on his long-awaited return at Newcastle last month, only giving best to a promising and match-fit rival in Pocklington, and so must step up on that back in Pattern company.

He’s been working nicely at home in preparation for this and looks great. He’ll wear cheekpieces for the first time to help him focus, so I’m really hoping he can confirm the promise of that massive performance at Ascot in what looks an open renewal.

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Italian import faces Fred Darling test

It has been great to link-up with Newmarket trainer Marco Botti lately, so I’m excited to get the call up for his filly Folgaria in the Group Three Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Newbury – better known to many as the Fred Darling.

She’s a fascinating contender, as she’s never run in Britain before but is unbeaten in five starts in Marco’s native Italy, ending last season with success in a Group Two at the San Siro on similar ground to what she’ll encounter on Saturday.

An official rating of 105 makes her the second-best filly in the six-runner field on paper, behind William Haggas’ Relief Rally – the Lowther winner who will be ridden by my husband Tom Marquand.

John and Thady Gosden’s Regal Jubilee, who progressed to win a Listed race at Newmarket in November, looks open to any amount of improvement off her mark of 99, so it will be a good test to see where Folgaria is on her stable debut.

Unlike that rival, this daughter of Due Diligence isn’t in the Qipco 1000 Guineas, but I’m sure Marco has a nice campaign mapped out for her depending on how things go here.

Big hopes for Noble in Spring Cup

Archie Watson has a lovely team of horses for Hambleton Racing this year, including Noble Order who reappears in the OLBG Spring Cup Handicap at Newbury.

He was due to run at Redcar on Monday, but when that fixture fell to the wet weather it was all systems go for this valuable prize.

Archie’s taken his time with his lightly-raced son of Dubawi, who really impressed me when returning from a 15-month lay-off to win a one-mile handicap at Newcastle in February off a mark of 84.

He’s up to 90 now but is a powerful individual, who is just the type that Archie excels with, and he can continue scaling the heights in big handicaps this summer. A typically shrewd purchase from the Autumn Sales, leaving Godolphin for just 16,000 guineas, I’m hoping that price tag looks even more of a bargain after Saturday.

Bad draw for Polling Day

Polling Day has plenty to prove in the closing one mile and two furlongs Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Handicap on Newbury’s card.

He has a terrible draw in this big-field contest, but we’re hoping he can be a bit more effective on the grass than he has been on the All-Weather.

As a three-year-old he won both starts for John and Thady Gosden, but he just hasn’t shown us anything like that level of form in two starts at Wolverhampton and Lingfield earlier this year.

Hollie Doyle was speaking to Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft.