Hollie Doyle to ride in Japan Cup for first time on last year's winner with Ryan Moore injured

Hollie Doyle will ride in the Japan Cup for the first time after doctors’ orders ruled out Ryan Moore from his attempt at back-to-back wins in the prestigious race on Vela Azul at Tokyo on Sunday.

Moore injured his back following a fall soon after the start of a race in Kyoto last Sunday and was stood down for the rest of the day, missing the ride on Grade 1 Mile Championship winner Namur. Although he walked away apparently unscathed and later declared himself none the worse, his name was missing from Thursday’s big-race declarations on medical advice.

Doyle, who is in Japan with husband Tom Marquand on a short-term contract, has ridden four winners from 31 rides in her second spell in the country.

Her call-up means that three female jockeys will be riding in Japan’s biggest international race, following just one in the previous 42 runnings. American legend Julie Krone finished 14th of 15 behind Better Loosen Up, Australia’s only winner of the race, in 1990.

Doyle is joined by Nanako Fujita, one of the Japan Racing Association’s few female riders, on Win Erfolg, and Marie Velon, who partners the veteran Iresine, representing France as the sole overseas challenger. He bids to end a run of 17 wins by home-trained horses.

Velon, who holds the record for the most wins by a female jockey in a season in France, won a leg of the World All-Star Jockeys series at Sapporo in August, but for Lyon-based trainer Jean-Pierre Gauvin this is a first venture to the Japan.

Equinox: Dubai Sheema Classic winner is officially the world's highest-rated horseCredit: Masakazu Takahashi

Speaking in a media conference at Tokyo racecourse on Thursday, Gauvin admitted that he was concerned early in the week when his dual Group 1 winner Iresine appeared to have a muscle problem, likely caused by dehydration on the 36-hour journey from France.

He said: “I was worried, but we took measures and the JRA vets have been very understanding. Now his condition is the same as it was when we left France.”

Gauvin said he was hoping for a middle draw and his wish was granted at the random election, which placed Iresine in stall seven.

Equinox, officially the world’s highest-rated horse, and Liberty Island, the fillies’ Triple Crown winner, will jump side by side from stalls two and one respectively.

Equinox, a brilliant winner of the Sheema Classic earlier this year, is the 2-5 favourite with Coral for Japan Cup glory ahead of 5-2 shot Liberty Island. It is 16-1 bar those two.

The Japan Cup will be shown live on Racing TV between 6-7am on Sunday.

Japan Cup runners, riders and draw

Liberty Island (stall one), Yuga Kawada
Equinox (two), Christophe Lemaire
Titleholder (three), Kazuo Yokoyama
Studley (four), Tom Marquand
Do Deuce (five), Keita Tosaki
Forward Again (six), Hiroto Mayuzumi
Iresine (seven), Marie Velon
Panthalassa (eight), Yutaka Yoshida
Vela Azul (nine), Hollie Doyle
Danon Beluga (ten), Joao Moreira
Trust Kenshin (11), Kiwama Ogino
Chestnut Coat (12), Manabu Tanaka
Kurino Megami Ace (13), Tomohiro Yoshimura
Deep Bond (14), Ryuji Wada
Shonan Bashitto (15), Mirco Demuro
Impress (16), Kosei Miura
Stars On Earth (17), William Buick
Win Erfolg (18), Nanako Fujita

Japan Cup (6.40am Sunday)

Coral: 2-5 Equinox, 5-2 Liberty Island, 16 Titleholder, Do Deuce, 25 Danon Beluga, Vela Azul, 33 Irisene, 66 bar

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