The Doyen Chief

The horse is trained by Alan King at Wroughton in Wiltshire, a yard that has sent out 58 winners already this season — one of the more productive operations in the country. King has always spoken warmly of this horse, keeping him carefully managed and not over-raced, which may explain why he is still performing at a high level in his ninth year. One interesting quirk: King has generally pointed him at right-handed tracks because the horse has a tendency to drift to his right, though the trainer believes he will grow more adaptable over time.

Normal ground is where The Doyen Chief does his best work — 4 wins from just 5 races on a standard surface, a remarkable 80% record. Change the conditions and he is a different proposition, so keep an eye on the forecast. His real home, though, is Kempton Park, where he has won 2 of his 3 races — a course record that suggests something about the flat, right-handed circuit suits him perfectly. His most recent win came there in January 2026, a Class 2 race, which means he was beating some of the better horses in the country that day.

His regular partner in the saddle is Tom Bellamy, who has ridden him in 10 of his races and won twice together — winning 1 in every 5 rides. That is a solid partnership. The form over his last six runs tells a mixed story — two poor finishes recently bookend a second place and that January win — but he raced just yesterday, so the team clearly believe there is still plenty left in the tank. For a horse that started out winning a point-to-point in Ireland and has climbed steadily to winning Class 2 races on the big stage, this is a career that rewards following closely.