O'BRIEN HEADS TOP JOCKEY MARKET

James Doyle may head the current standings for the QIPCO Royal Ascot Top Jockey Award with three winners but the layers still think that Joseph O'Brien will come out on top at the end of the meeting and the 20-year-old heads the market at a standout 6/4 with William Hill.

O'Brien got off to the best possible start on Tuesday when he landed the opening Queen Anne Stakes on Declaration Of War and he doubled up on Wednesday when Gale Force Ten blew the opposition away in the Jersey Stakes.

Doyle rode a treble on the second day of the Royal Meeting when he took the Prince Of Wales's Stakes  on Al Kazeem and followed this up shortly afterwards when Belgian Bill won the Royal Hunt Cup at odds of 33/1.

He completed the treble aboard Clive Brittain's Rizeena in the Queen Mary Stakes and is currently a top-price 7/2 with Paddy Power to finish the week as top jockey.

Last year's winner Ryan Moore is next in the market at 4/1 with bet365 and Ladbrokes having ridden just one winner so far (on Estimate in the Gold Cup) but he has ridden plenty of placed horses which could be crucial come the end of the meeting.

Johnny Murtagh is a 10/1 shot with Ladbrokes having ridden two winners at the Royal Meeting in the shape of Sole Power (King's Stand Stakes) and Extortionist (Windsor Castle Stakes) while William Buick is a 16/1 chance having steered Remote to victory in the Tercentenary Stakes on Ladies' Day.

While the betting for the QIPCO Royal Ascot Top Jockey Award is still open, the bookies think the equivalent award for Top Trainer is done and dusted, with all the leading firms having closed their books following three victories for Aidan O'Brien at the Royal Meeting so far.