Dettori: I’ll be lucky to stay on the track!

FRANKIE DETTORI has predicted that runners drawn higher than stall seven at the compact Del Mar circuit will find it tough to win at the $ 28million two- day Breeders’ Cup meeting which starts tonight.

Dettori got his first taste of the course at the edge of the Pacific Ocean here on Wednesday night when he finished fifth on Simon Callaghan-trained Kazan in a mile maiden on the inner turf circuit which has tight bends. The most successful European jockey in the 33-year history of the Breeders’ Cup started from the widest draw in stall 10.

Forced to race wide early, the Italian attempted to slot in with a switch to the inside rail. The manoeuvre left him at the tail of the field and with too much ground to make up, despite Kazan picking off rivals in the short home straight.

It left Dettori (below) predicting that the best he can expect from Karar — his French-trained mount drawn 14 of 14 in tomorrow’s Mile — would be ‘to stay on the track if I’m lucky!’

The jockey, who has ridden no fewer than 12 Breeders’ Cup winners, added: ‘For anything drawn above seven it is going to be very difficult to win. I tried every option on Kazan to try to give myself a feel of the track.

‘I cut the corner but the home straight is so short — it is just over a furlong — that it is very hard to make up the ground. It’s much tighter track than Santa Anita. I expected it to be tight but not this tight.’

Dettori’s prediction, if it comes true, is bad news for some big European hopes. In tonight’s Juvenile Fillies Turf, Dettori’s John Gosden-trained mount Lady Capulet is in stall 13 of 14 while Richard Spencer’s Coventry Stakes winner Rajasinghe is widest of all in stall 14.

Tomorrow, Ribchester and Roly Poly are drawn 10 and 12 of 14 in the Mile and Rhododendron 14 of 14 in the Filly & Mare Turf. Dettori rates Ulysses, drawn five in tomorrow’s Turf, and James Garfield, a stall seven starter in tonight’s Juvenile Turf, his best chances at the meeting.

Dettori rides rank outsider Mototism in tonight’s Distaff but it is the two Turf races out of the four day- one contests that concern Europe.

Aidan O’Brien’s dual Group One winner Happily is 7-2 favourite but unbeaten Rushing Fall, whose trainer Chad Brown has won this race three times, is the one to beat.

Best each- way hope may be Madeline, 14-1 with Coral. The Cheveley Park Stakes third has been crying out for tonight’s fast ground, according to her trainer Roger Varian. Europe have won six of the 10 runnings of the Juvenile Turf and have six of the 14 starters.

This looks our big first day hope with Charlie Appleby’s Solario Stakes winner Masar, who has looked good out here, possibly the

best chance.

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