HOGAN IN NO DOUBT ABOUT HIS SCEPTICAL
DENIS HOGAN hopes Frankie Dettori can make it a full house in Group 1 races when he partners his Sceptical in Saturday’s Darley July Cup at Newmarket.
Last month Dettori completed a full set of top-level victories at
Royal Ascot when he landed the Coronation Stakes on Alpine Star.
That means the July Cup is now the only Group 1 race in Britain missing from the Italian’s CV that has seen him partner over 250 Group winners world-wide.
“That would be something if it happened for Frankie on Saturday,” said Hogan (above) who trains five minutes away from Tipperary racecourse.
“The horse ran a cracker at Royal Ascot when Frankie rode him.”
Dettori, top rider at this year’s royal meeting, feels he should have won on Sceptical instead of finishing third behind Hello Youmzain in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
“I may have gone too soon, and we got caught,” said Dettori. “I have told Denis I should have won.
“He’s the one that got away on the last day.”
Hogan has worked wonders with Sceptical since purchasing the
Godolphin unraced cast-off for £2,800 – now the four-year-old has banked £71,098.
But Hogan was not blaming Dettori for the gelding’s defeat.
“I don’t know if he got to the front too soon, hard to say,” said Hogan.
“But the horse tied up on Frankie and did not get to the line. We’ll try to do something different next time.”
Ladbrokes believe he can turn the tables with Hello Youmzain as he is 4-1 with his conqueror 9-2.
Golden Horde, the Commonwealth Cup winner at Royal Ascot, attempts to give his trainer Clive Cox a third victory in the six-furlong dash, and he heads the market at 11-4.
As for the opposition, Hogan added: “Yeah, we are entitled to go and take them on again.
“I suppose what we proved at Ascot is that there is not a lot between three or four of them.
“Both courses will be equally stiff, but I leave that one to Frankie. I’m hoping it will be better ground than we had at Ascot.”
■ HOGAN lost his appeal yesterday against a €3,000 fine imposed for Narynkol breaching the non-trier rule at the Curragh last month.