Top jockey a big drawcard

THE world’s best jockey Frankie Dettori is coming to Australia and has thrown down the gauntlet to Aussie star Hugh Bowman to beat him on the track and at polo.

Dettori is riding high after three stunning Group 1 wins at Ascot and Goodwood last week and told News Corp: “Hugh Bowman, I am coming for you.”

The Italian-born horseman will captain the Ferrari team at The Magic Millions on the Gold Coast in January against a team captained by Bowman.

“I have never played polo but my brother-in-law plays polo, so I will have some lessons,” he said confidently.

But he also plans to tackle Australia’s top jockey on the track in the $2 million race for two-year-olds. “If someone will give me a ride then I will be happy to race,” he said.

Dettori, 48, joins a stellarcast jetting into Australia in January for the polo with Argentinian star Nacho Figueras and the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall among those joining NRL legend Billy Slater on the field.

The announcement comes as Dettori secured two Group wins at the Goodwood Festival including one on Stradivarius, which might be coming out for the Melbourne Cup. That followed a nailbiting win on Enable at Ascot in her final season.

“Enable is an horse, a once in incredible a lifetime horse much like Winx has been for Hugh Bowman,” he said.

Magic Millions co-owner Katie Page was in Gatcombe yesterday and said signing the flamboyant Dettori would ensure the event on the Gold Coast would “go off”.

“He has had the most unbelievable success in the UK and when he saw what we were doing in Australia he just wanted to be a part of it.

Ms Page was sponsoring the Gatcombe Horse Trials, which is held in the grounds of Princess Anne’s Cotwolds’ home, to further promote the involvement of women in racing.

Zara Tindall said: “It means a great deal to have Magic Millions involved in this event which my parents started more than 30 years ago to put something back into the sport.”

She said she was “blown away” by the success of the women in racing initiative which she and Ms Page started in Australia seven years ago.

“The more we can push for these kind of things to happen the better it is for the sport.”