From the abyss to the pinnacle: Doyle the iceman primed to prove Arc's class act

James Doyle once let slip he had considered signing up for a plumbing course after rides dried up near the start of his career. While he never seriously intended quitting the saddle, the fact he even contemplated whether his future lay in horseracing highlights the punishing mental and physical toll a career in the saddle can levy.

After bursting on to the racing scene with 73 winners in 2006, Doyle suffered the fate of many apprentices in the following seasons, when the loss of his claim and a lack of opportunities threatened to prematurely snuff out a bright new light.

In 2009 and 2010 Doyle failed to register even 30 winners. Slogging up and down the country for spare rides wherever he could find them, the young man was barely earning enough to keep his head above water.