Hollie Doyle has been forced to withdraw from the International Jockeys' Championship in Hong Kong after testing positive for Covid-19. The 24-year-old jockey, who made history on Wednesday by becoming the first female rider to win a race in the competition, was due to compete in the final leg of the series but will now miss the remainder of the event.
Doyle's positive test came as a shock to the racing world, which had been celebrating her stellar year. On Wednesday, she rode Harmony N Blessed to victory in the third race of the championship at Happy Valley, securing a third-place finish overall. Her win added £100,000 to her 2020 prize money, which now stands at nearly £2 million.
Doyle's participation in the Hong Kong event was a highlight of an extraordinary year that included her first Royal Ascot winner, a double on Champions Day at Ascot, and the first five-timer for a female rider in Britain. She was recently named Sportswoman of the Year by the Sunday Times and is shortlisted for the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award.
In a statement, Doyle expressed her disappointment but said she would follow health protocols. The Hong Kong Jockey Club confirmed that she is in isolation and receiving medical care. Her partner, jockey Tom Marquand, who also competed in the championship, has not tested positive.
