THE tremendous talent of young British jockeys was highlighted at Ascot’s meeting last Saturday, writes Dave Wright.

Hollie Doyle completed a double, while there was a win apiece for fellow apprentices George Wood and Kieran Shoemark, and this was after last season’s champion apprentice, Josephine Gordon, had taken the opener.

In-form Gordon, who rode a treble at Haydock on Friday, impressed again on Hugo Palmer’s newcomer Fajjaj (3/1), who finished strongly to finish half-a-length clear of Court of Justice, the 2/1 favourite ridden by Jamie Spencer.

But Spencer went one better in the next on 4/7 favourite Soliloquy, trained by Charlie Appleby.

The John Gosden-trained Remarkable (10/1) showed a good turn of speed to win the £80,000 Cunard Handicap in what Shoemark described as a “very tough race early on”.

Amabilis (11/2), ridden by Pat Dobbs for Ralph Beckett, travelled strongly throughout to win the next race over the straight mile, drawing clear to finish three and a half lengths clear of 11/4 favourite Havre De Paix, ridden by Shoemark.

Dobbs, aboard Melting Dew, had to be content with second place in the £100,000 Appetiser Stakes, a 1m 4f handicap for three-year-olds, behind 16/1 shot Duke of Bronte, ridden by 3lb claimer Wood for Rod Millman, who had not trained an Ascot winner for more than a decade.

But Dobbs did complete a double on the day when pushing home the Queen’s Elector (7/1) in the 7f novices stakes on the two-year-old’s debut.

This race was started by the flag, with the starting stalls being deemed unsafe due to the thunder, lightning and torrential rain.

Apprentice Doyle was seen at her best in the 6f sprint, taking the sluggish-starting Ice Lord (6/1) from last place to finish one a quarter lengths clear of Gulliver (ridden by Gordon) who lost his chance by hanging badly in the run to the line.

And the delighted Doyle followed up by also winning the last race on 9/2 shot Pettochside for trainer John Bridger, taking the jockey’s career tally to 85 wins.

The highlight of Friday’s Ascot meeting was undoubtedly the impressive win by Roger Charlton’s Herculean on his debut. The son of Frankel was immediately given a quote of 25-1 for next year’s Derby.

Ascot’s next meeting is on October 6-7.