IN a move which shocked the racing world, Godolphin swooped this week to sign up William Buick and James Doyle as retained riders for next season.

This dramatic turn of events signalled Sheikh Mohammed’s determination to compete with Coolmore and Khalid Abdullah at the very highest level, though he will also be up against Qatar Racing from now on.

Many insiders were stunned by the news, especially as Buick and Doyle have outstanding jobs. Buick is first jockey to John Gosden, while only a year ago Doyle accepted a similar position with Prince Khalid.

The decision to move on again shows how convinced they must be by Godolphin’s renaissance and ambition. The winners have flowed in recent weeks, although Group 1 victories are still elusive.

It would be naïve to discount money as a major factor in what has transpired.

Godolphin were certainly in a position to offer Buick a better deal, while it is highly unlikely that Khalid Abdullah would have entered into any sort of cheque book battle. As polite as ever, he merely wished Doyle all the best.

For his part, the jockey probably thought the owner would be doing well to find any more like Frankel, Kingman and Noble Mission for a while.

Buick will ride primarily for Charlie Appleby, with Doyle number one to Saeed Bin Suroor. In a complicated picture, Buick will ride horses owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s wife Princess Haya when they move from Gosden to Godolphin.

He will also have access to the Roger Varian-trained Dewhurst winner Belardo, in whom Godolphin have bought a majority share. 2015 looks like being a fascinating campaign, right from the start.