QIPCO 2000 Guineas – James Doyle back in the big time after a spell in Australia

He lost the job as stable jockey to Saeed bin Suroor in September after a couple of years with the Godolphin trainer.

But no toys came out of the Doyle pram. Any disappointment was kept behind closed stable doors. His head went down through hard graft not self-pity.

A spell as Godolphin’s main jockey in Australia - after James McDonald was slapped with an 18-month ban for breaking betting rules - was interrupted by injury.

Such was his desire to overcome a broken wrist and damaged knee he had 15 sessions in a cryotherapy chamber where temperatures plunge to below minus 150 centrigrade.

Now Doyle is back riding the Godolphin horses not trained by Bin Suroor and Charlie Appleby.

As Barney Roy – trained by Richard Hannon – was snapped up by the ‘boys in blue’ after winning a Haydock maiden he became Doyle’s ride.

He told me: “I knew I would be riding the Godolphin horses outside Charlie and Saeed but there wasn’t a standout three-year-old. As far as Guineas contenders go I didn’t think I had much.

“It was a good performance from Barney Roy in the Greenham and I think he’s definitely going to improve on the back of that.

“What will help is that he will jump and travel a lot stronger. I don’t think he’ll have that mid-race sleepiness he had in the Greenham as he’ll travel a lot stronger. The turn of foot will come from travelling and not being outpaced.

“I was very concerned from halfway in the Greenham but when I gave him a couple of taps he really quickened.

“To be competitive in the Guineas he is going to have to have improved and learnt a lot from the Greenham but I think he will have done. Stepping back up to a mile will definitely bring about improvement.

“I see him as a top-class mile to mile-and-a-quarter horse. He’s certainly got the stride of a very good horse - similar to the good ones I've ridden before."

The best of those good ‘uns still troubles Doyle. He won four Group 1s on Kingman but his only defeat came when beaten half-a-length by Hannon's shock winner Night Of Thunder in the 2000 Guineas three years ago.

Doyle said: “I still can’t work out how Kingman got beat in the Guineas.

“It would mean everything to win a British Classic as they are the most important races of our season. I thought it would happen with Kingman.

“I was lucky enough to win an Irish Classic on him but to win a British one would be great.”

Doyle has two bullets to fire in that direction this weekend. He will pull the Khalid Abdulla silks of Kingman on again in Sunday’s Qipco 1000 Guineas when he rides Fair Eva for another old ally in trainer Roger Charlton.

Doyle added: “I would be so happy if I could win a Classic for Khalid Abdullah. It would be amazing.

“I had some very good times with Juddmonte and sat on some fantastic horses.

“It’s nice to get the call up to ride one of their potential stars again. I’m really excited about it.”