Doyle Hopes To Make Arc Weight

[Wandering Eyes]

Jockey James Doyle said he will try to trim a bit of weight to continue his partnership with star filly Sea Of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 7. Doyle generally doesn’t ride below 8st 12lb, but the age and sex allowance for the G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks winner would see her line up under 8st 9lb.

“The Arc looks to be the right race for her,” Doyle said of the current ante-post favourite. “I haven’t spoken to [trainer] William [Haggas] since she won so I don’t know how far along they are as to what to go for next. She’ll only have 8st 9lb in the Arc which would be the lightest I’ve done for three or four years. I did do it in Australia about 18 months ago but that was a little bit easier, so that’s another factor.”

Sea Of Class has won four straight, with her only defeat coming when second on debut at Newmarket in April.

“I didn’t sleep much the night before [the Yorkshire Oaks on Aug. 23], I was that excited about jumping on her again, she’s just exceptional,” Doyle told At The Races. “We didn’t go overly quick, but she went through her gears so well and she won like a superstar really. There was plenty of strength in depth in the race as well, which gives you plenty of confidence. She’s got a lovely cruising speed, but a very good turn of foot. We went pretty good fractions in the Oaks over in Ireland and she quickened off that and we went pretty steady the other day. She really drops down and accelerates.”

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