JOCKEY Hollie Doyle won’t show any mercy to her husband Tom Marquand at Epsom this weekend.
The jockeys are set to face off in the Cazoo Oaks on Friday on the opening day of the Derby Festival.
Doyle will ride the 9-2 second favourite Nashwa, while Marquand will partner the Joseph O’Brien-trained Tranquil Lady.
The pair got engaged in 2020 and tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at a church in Herefordshire in March this year.
They often ride against one another, but rarely on the biggest stage like they will at Epsom on Friday.
But if there were any doubts, Doyle confirmed that she will be going all out to beat her hubby in the fillies’ Classic.
She grinned: “Ultimately I’m a jockey and I have got a job to do.
“He might be my husband but we don’t give one another an inch. We both just want to win.
“Though he is probably sick of hearing the name Nashwa!”
If Doyle were to win the Oaks on Friday, she would become the first female jockey to win a British Classic.
She has already broken numerous records during her brilliant career, but bagging a Classic would be the icing on the cake.
She said: “It would be an absolute dream come true.
“You’re always looking to progress throughout your career and it would be another box ticked.
“Like Rachael Blackmore winning the Grand National, winning a British Classic is something I dream of doing over the next 10 years or so, so if it could happen on Friday it would be great.
“Look at the reaction there was when Rachael won the Grand National.
“It’s one of the toughest horse races in the world to win and she did that, so if I could win a British Classic it would be a dream come true for me personally and could hopefully inspire other women to get into the sport.
“It’s a great opportunity to get a ride with a live chance.”
She continued: “I’m fairly used to (the attention) now. Every time I’ve done something new this is what happens, which is great.
“I’m used to it and take it all in my stride. Ultimately I’m a jockey and I’ve got a job to do, that’s how I approach it.”
