30-year-old jump jockey Tom Doyle has taken a somewhat unorthodox route on his way up through the riding ranks, but regardless of this he has established himself in the Irish weighing room.
Principal Trainers: Michael Hourigan, Jim Culloty, Michael Bowe
Notable Wins:
- Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase (Coolcashin 2010)
- Surehaul Mercedes Novice Hurdle (On The Way Out 2009)
- Cork Stayers Novice Hurdle (The Bishop Looney 2008)
- Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase (Trafford Lad 2008)
- Florida Pearl Novice Chase (Trafford Lad 2008)
- Like-A-Butterfly Novice Chase (Baltiman 2008)
- Johnstown Novice Hurdle (Coolcashin 2008)
- Kinloch Brae Chase (Hi Cloy 2008)
- woodiesdiy.com Christmas Hurdle (Sweet Kiln 2007)
- Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle (Trafford Lad 2007)
- Lismullen Hurdle (Sweet Kiln 2007)
- Woodlands Park 100 Club Poplar Square Chase (Coolgreaney 2007)
- Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (Oscar Park 2007)
- Wayward Lad Novices' Chase (Jack The Giant 2006)
- Celebration Chase (River City 2006)
- Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase (Buckby Lane 2005)
- Molyneux Novices' Chase (River City 2004)
- Red Rum Handicap Chase (Tidour 2004)
- Scilly Isles Novice Chase (Patricksnineteenth 2004)
Early Days
Doyle initially rode as an amateur attached to the Dusty Sheehy yard, riding his first winner at the tender age of 17 when winning a bumper at Fairyhouse on a horse called Blackburn in November 1997. Six weeks later, that same horse provided him with his second win when prevailing in a maiden hurdle at Down Royal. The following year saw him made steady progress, riding a total of three winners from 63 rides.
To Britain
The 1999/2000 season began well for Doyle with him riding the Pat Cody-trained Mix It to win a bumper at Clonmel, but as the season wore on, the opportunities Doyle was getting were not increasing to any great degree, so he followed the path of many young Irish jump jockeys before him and left the country to ply his trade in Britain. That new phase in his career got off to the perfect start with him riding a winner in his very first race in England on the Noel Chance-trained Petasus in a claiming hurdle at Plumpton on September 13th 1999. Such a start was certainly a good omen for things to come for Doyle in England as his tally of winners soon began to grow.
With him riding winners for a wide variety of trainers, Doyle was gaining valuable exposure as the season went on and indeed, he almost gained his first win at the Cheltenham Festival when finishing second in the National Hunt Chase on the Noel Chance-trained Inch Rose in 2000. In total, during the calendar year of 2000, he rode a total of 25 winners from 240 rides. While 2001 did not prove as successful with him riding 16 winners from 294 rides, Tom did reach some notable milestones, including having his first ride in the Aintree Grand National and while he failed to complete the course on the Nicky Henderson-trained Esprit De Cotte. 2002 saw marked increase both in the number of winners he rode as well as the number of rides he took, prevailing on 30 occasions from 378 mounts. That progression continued relentlessly through into 2003 when he rode 46 winners from 313 rides. While Doyle’s profile was gradually rising all this time, his CV still lacked a big-race win, but 2004 would prove to be a break-out year for Doyle in that regard.
A Break-Out Year
2004 began in tremendous fashion for Doyle with him gaining his first Grade 1 win on the Paul Webber-trained Patricksnineteenth in the Scilly Isles Novice Chase at Sandown in February. That win helped to further increase his profile and his win on Tidour in the Grade 3 Red Rum Handicap Chase at the Aintree Grand National meeting the following April did him no harm either. He continued to ride plenty of winners through the summer and added another big race to his tally when riding the Noel Chance-trained River City to success in the Listed Molyneux Novices' Chase at Aintree in October. At the conclusion of 2004, Doyle had ridden a total of 47 winners from 418 rides.
Continued Success
2005 continued in the same vein for Doyle, though with the emphasis generally on quantity rather than quality with regard to the winners he rode. He gained his biggest win of the year on the Paul Webber-trained Buckby Lane in the Grade 3 Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in January and while a win at the Cheltenham Festival still eluded him, but he came tantalisingly close to breaking his Festival duck that March, riding River City to finish third in the Arkle Chase and the Paul Webber-trained De Soto finished a ¼-length second in the Champion Bumper. In total, 2005 saw him ride 56 winners from 485 rides.
Yet again in 2006 a Cheltenham Festival winner proved elusive and for the second year in succession he finished second in the Champion Bumper on a Paul Webber-trained horse, this time on Pressgang who failed by just a head to peg back Hairy Molly. He was also unfortunate to be unseated from River City when travelling well at the fourth-last fence in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. He gained something in the way of big race compensation when riding the latter performer to success in the Grade 2 Celebration Chase at Sandown the following month. He continued to ride winners during the summer and autumn months and he returned to the big race arena when gaining a high-profile success at Kempton on St Stephan’s Day when riding Jack The Giant to a game success in the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices' Chase.
Victory At Cheltenham
In March 2007, Doyle travelled to the Cheltenham Festival hopeful of breaking his duck at National Hunt racings greatest Festival and the signs were encouraging when he rode his old favourite River City to finish third in the Champion Chase. The following day however, Doyle’s long wait for a Cheltenham Festival win finally came to an end as he gave the David Arbuthnot-trained Oscar Park a strong ride to prevail in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle. The win fulfilled a lifelong ambition for Doyle and perhaps completing that goal had a bearing on him making a hugely significant decision later that year.
Returning Home
Since leaving for England in 1999, Doyle had only returned to ride in Ireland on very sporadic occasions, but during the summer of 2007, Doyle made the decision to return home to Ireland on a full-time basis. His decision to return to Ireland was driven in part by an arrangement with his good friend and rookie trainer, Jim Culloty, whereby he would be the yards retained rider. The partnership got off to a good start with him partnering the Culloty-trained Noble Concorde to success in a handicap hurdle at Cork in August and he gained a second win for the yard when riding King Vic to success in a handicap hurdle at Navan in December. However, since returning to Ireland Doyle has had notable successes for other yards .
Grade 1 Success
One of the most notable partnerships that Doyle struck up after returning to Ireland was with the Bowe family. He rode Coolcashin and Earth Magic to two wins apiece, but his main partner from the yard has been Sweet Kiln. She made a successful reappearance under Doyle in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle in November before the pair were denied a Grade 1 success by a short-head in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle. On their next start they were again narrowly denied success in the Tara Hurdle before returning to winning ways in the Grade 2 woodiesdiy.com Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown. He has also formed a lucrative partnership with the Michael Hourigan yard, winning the Grade 2 Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles on Hi Cloy in January and a valuable conditions chase at Clonmel on Arteea in February. However, perhaps the sweetest win for Doyle since his return to Ireland came on the Dusty Sheehy-trained Trafford Lad in the Grade 1 Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle at Navan in December. That win well and truly announced that Doyle was going to be a force to contend with at all levels in Irish racing and set him up for what would be another successful season in 2008/9.
Trafford Lad once again proved to be a very lucrative partner for Doyle in 2008/9. In the space of 15 days in November, he rode him to win the Grade 3 Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown and the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse and he went on to finish in the frame in two other Grade 1’s on him later in the season. He also rode the Susan Finn-trained Baltiman to win the Grade 3 Like-A-Butterfly Novice Chase at Tipperary in October and the Tom Nagle-trained The Bishop Looney to win the Grade 3 Cork Stayers Novice Hurdle at Cork in December. All told, Doyle rode 33 winners from 480 rides that season.
Settling Into A Rhythm
While 2009/10 was not as lucrative for Doyle as the previous season had been, it was another successful term for him. His most lucrative partner during the course of the season was the Michael Bowe-trained Coolcashin, with him winning two conditions chases and the valuable Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase at the Punchestown Festival. 2010/11 has been another solid campaign for Doyle and while he has yet to strike in a big race, he is well on course to beat his tally of winners from the previous season.
Now firmly re-established in the Irish weighing room, Tom Doyle looks to have many more successful years ahead of him.
Info supplied by Horse Racing Ireland - Updated January 2011
