Way back in 2008 a baby faced young man realised his childhood dream when he walked into the iconic racetrack on the Saturday of Royal Ascot wearing his best Top Man suit and tie, shoes polished to the max, wash bag tucked under his arm — no need for the razor that was probably in it just for show!

It was an exciting day that had long been waited for by the budding jockey. The days of being at school and just going on the Saturday or watching from the jockeys room at some lesser meeting, were finally behind him.

It’s an immense day for any rider to go to Royal Ascot, a race meeting that is truly like no other in any country the world over. One only has to listen to the Americans that come to this show-piece to appreciate how different the British do things. The gigantic grandstand, the ultra-glamorous ladies in magnificent outfits with the compulsory hats, the gents so, so dapper in morning suits of black or grey with beautifully burnished top hats and stunning waistcoats, the Royal procession of unique carriages pulled by teams of horses and their liveried riders and of course the star of all this — The Queen.

Top it all with around sixty or seventy thousand voices as the races build to an earth shattering climax and you begin to get the picture.

Capricorn Run who at one time ran in the colours of well known Dubai owner Khalifa Bin Dasmal, and trained by Alan McCabe was James (Doyle) mount in the Wokingham Stakes, a legendary stampede over six furlongs. The pair performed admirably finishing 6th after leading the field at halfway before lack of fitness following a lay off told the story.

The James Doyle we know nowadays would be a bit more patient but this was a great try on a big outsider and perhaps gave us an inkling of what was to come.

Press the fast forward button to 2013 and Wow, wow, wow what a different jockey we saw. His physical development had taken a bit longer than some but the extra tall for a jockey was now the complete package. Combining brains and strength with a streetwise but astute and shrewd attitude. he had become a rider the important trainers and owners wanted on their side and about to be retained by one of the best outfits in the world — Juddmonte.

It was easy to see why he had attracted the attention of Prince Khalid Abdullah following his appointment as first jockey for the man who became his mentor, Roger Charlton. It was fitting that it was Charlton’s Ferrari of a horse, Al Kazeem, who provided the first leg of the greatest day thus far of Doyle’s life when the pair scorched home in the Group 1 Prince of Wales Stakes for the fourth of eleven wins the two would have together. Al Kazeem truly rounded his jockey into one of the world’s best, it was a remarkable partnership and a joy to behold. The confidence gleaned in that win carried James onto the very next race The Royal Hunt Cup, 28 runners in a straight line up the hill, his partner in their first ever dance together was Belgium Bill and how they twirled loops through the field to squeeze through all the tight spots to win.

Back to back wins at Royal Ascot do happen so nothing too remarkable there but wait another 40 minutes and something unprecedented and remarkable was to take place… Rizeena and James combined to win the Queen Mary and give trainer Clive Brittain a chance of displaying his trademark ‘Winners Jig’.

For James, that one day of racing, or 100 minutes of it, propelled him into the record books as the first ever to ride a consecutive treble at this meeting. He left no one in any doubt of his skills at both riding horses and satisfying the throngs of media plaguing him for interviews, all of which he did with a gracious smile forever enlisting these hard-nosed hacks into the “Doyler” fan club. A star was born that day.

The following years may not have reaped the same harvest of riches at the Royal Meeting but in 2014 he got his 2000 Guineas revenge over Night of Thunder by partnering Juddmonte superstar, Kingman to a resounding victory in the Group 1 St James Palace Stakes.

The treble was so very nearly achieved again in 2015 only missing the target by a nose and a neck. James teamed up with Amazing Maria to take the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge from his old partner Rizeena, at huge odds of 25 to 1. Another old partner, Roger Charlton, put him up on Temptress in the Hunt Cup where getting hampered stopped them winning by a fast closing neck. Jame’ and new boss Saed Bin Surour went to war in the Sandringham with Always Smiling where they were oh so close only beaten a frustrating nose!

Last year’s meeting saw James consolidate his Royal Ascot consistency with yet more runners on the board and another Hunt Cup success, this one with Portage for Godolphin and Mick Halford. Belardo was a gallant second to the US trained Tepin, Always Smile returned to be third to French trained Usherette and Elite Army and Prize Money both coming second, the latter to Hawkbill, all of which were Godolphin horses.

James says of Royal Ascot that “this place would tame lions” and his ability to finish in the frame so often without maybe winning bear strong testimony to his words.

Which brings us to the Richard Hannon trained Barney Roy. A cracking looking and moving horse whose future is surely all before him he was ridden with supreme confidence to claim a solid Group 1 win-St James Palace. His ride in the Gold Cup on Big Orange was masterful and James was humble in his praise of Frankie Dettori and Jamie Spencer — previous riders — advice on how to get the most from this fabulous horse who we are all growing to admire so much .

Humility is a trait oft lost in all but the very best of athletes - nice that it exists in James Doyle.