Hills plays down talk of rift with Holland

Charlie Hills yesterday insisted there had been no falling out between him and Darryll Holland – the man he appointed to be his stable jockey at the start of the year – despite not using the rider in recent weeks.

Hills also said there would still be opportunities for Holland to ride for the yard, but did not know when they would arise.

The 44-year-old Holland, who has spent the last few years riding in South Korea and then Mauritius, was approached by Hills in December to become his principal rider for 2016, although partnerships were in place for the yard's stars, namely Frankie Dettori on Magical Memory, while Hamdan Al Maktoum – the Lambourn trainer's main backer – employs his own jockeys.