Hollie Doyle expressed her shock after it emerged that her five-year role as retained rider to Derby winning owner Imad Al Sagar had come to an end, with multiple champion jockey Oisin Murphy taking up the role immediately in a "change of strategy".

Doyle was appointed to the role in 2020 and has partnered 38 winners for the Classic-winning owner and breeder, including the notable highs of three Group One wins on Nashwa in 2022 and 2023.

However, Al Sagar's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe revealed the partnership had come to an end following Doyle's second on Rouane for the owner at Newbury.

Grimthorpe said: "It's a change of strategy. We've had some wonderful years with Hollie and Imad wanted to have a bit of a change. Our relationship with her is still strong and I hope it will continue to be so.

"Oisin will be the way forward when available. Oisin is contracted to Qatar Racing and Prince Faisal so I'd imagine we'd be third down.

"We've had a great time with Hollie but we felt it was time for a change."

Murphy's spell as retainer for Al Sagar, a Derby winning-owner with Authorized in 2007, got off to the perfect start when he won on Gamrai in the 1m2f maiden stakes at Windsor.

Amo Racing smashed the Arqana record after splashing out £3,000,000 on a Night Of Thunder filly.

The blue-blooded filly was bred by Monceaux and the late Lady O’Reilly, and farm director Henri Bozo sought to buy out his fellow shareholders by joining in the bidding.

That price comfortably eclipses the previous August sale record, which was set in 2019 when John Ferguson paid €2.6m for this filly’s near relation Parabellum.

The four-day Ebor meeting at York attracted an increase of crowds on every day of the popular event.

Crowds were up compared with 2024 on each of the four days of the track's flagship fixture.

Attendances showed an increase of two per cent on the Wednesday and Saturday, five per cent on the Friday and six per cent on the Thursday.

As regards the racing it was a successful four days for jockey William Buick who rode six winners, with the two-time champion jockey saluting the victory of the Godolphin-owned Ombudsman in the Juddmonte International Stakes.

The Night of Thunder colt’s success over main market rival Delacroix came in dramatic fashion, as it looked at one stage as if Ombudsman’s pacemaker Birr Castle may have steeled the race from the front having been well clear at halfway. However, Ombudsman quickened clear in the final two furlongs in impressive fashion to record his second Group One success and his sixth career victory.

By Peter Moore