Renowned jockey Hollie Doyle has shared a heartfelt update from her hospital bed following a leg injury sustained during a race at Bath Racecourse. The incident occurred on Friday, May 23, during a race on Lansdown Hill, where Doyle was riding Vault of Heaven.
Doyle, 29, has made history in horse racing as the first female rider to win a French Classic and a European Group 1 Classic, notably triumphing at the Prix de Diane in 2022. She also finished joint second in the Flat Jockeys’ Championship that year and earned a podium spot in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards two years prior.
In her Instagram post on the morning of Saturday, May 24, Doyle reassured her supporters with a picture of herself in a hospital bed, her leg heavily strapped, giving a thumbs-up and smiling despite the pain. She wrote: “Thank you for all the messages. Unfortunately, I will be on the sidelines for a while after sustaining a leg injury at Bath yesterday. Thoughts are with connections. I’ll be back!”
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Her husband and fellow jockey, Tom Marquand, confirmed the injury is not severe, speaking to Racing TV. Marquand, who recently won on Catullus at Goodwood, said: “She’s gutted first and foremost. She just felt like she was really hitting her stride this season, enjoying it and finding a few fun horses. Thankfully, it’s a leg and nothing more serious. She’s due to have an operation soon, and hopefully, they can fix it in one go so she can focus on a quick recovery.”
Doyle was scheduled to race at Salisbury on Saturday evening, where she was poised to add to her impressive tally of 53 winners so far in 2024.