FRANKIE SPARKLES
Super Dettori strikes Gold in a race to remember
the horse, he was as brave as a lion, and well done to John winning his first Gold Cup. It’s my sixth and my 60th Royal Ascot winner. I’m only 47, don’t mix the numbers up!
‘It looked a great match on paper and developed into one.’
It was Dettori’s 60th royal meeting success — his first was Markofdistinction in 1990 as a 19-year- old — and, boy, did he milk the moment to the delight of the 46,773 Ladies’ Day crowd.
This sixth win in the meeting’s most prestigious race came 26 years after he landed his first Gold Cup on Drum Taps. It was his fourth win of this week.
Dettori has admitted the finishing line to his brilliant career is looming into view. But despite misleading rumours of retirement, the Italian has promised to keep riding for ‘five more years’. After yesterday’s barnstorming win, please add a zero on the end of that Frankie!
No rider can come within a furlong of electrifying a meeting like the ebullient Italian did yesterday.
His infectious euphoria swept around this regal quarter of Berkshire, lifting the mood of a meeting which, to be honest, had been subdued for the first two-and-a-half days.
It was quite a race and Stradivarius’s performance was even more meritorious as he was found to be lame after the race having lost the shoe on his right hind leg.
The son of Sea The Stars had won last year’s two-mile Goodwood Cup.
His stamina for the extra half mile yesterday was questionable, but he was still backed into 7-4 favourite.
The early pace was only steady before the tempo began to rise as the race panned out perfectly for Stradivarius, who carries the colours of South African-born, British-based financier Bjorn Nielsen.
Dettori added: ‘I wanted to park myself behind Order Of St George but (his jockey) Ryan (Moore) was in trouble four furlongs out. ‘I thought that might be deceiving because if I attacked him then, he might battle me out of it. So I waited to the straight and then passed the two (furlong marker) and then I thought “now I can get him”.
‘As I got rid of him I saw the grey head (of Christophe Soumillonridden Vazirabad) and I thought “oh, s***”. But I knew my horse was brave.’
Jockey Soumillon and Vazirabad’s trainer Alain De Royer-Dupre were crestfallen, feeling the couple of bumps the grey received from Stradivarius had discouraged a horse big on ability but short of racing heart.
Soumillon said: ‘ Frankie was clever and brought his horse close to Vazirabad. I went to the front by a head but he stops when he gets to the front. It’s frustrating.’ Trainer Gosden, happy to let his jockey take the limelight, said: ‘Frankie kept saying it was his sixth win in the Gold Cup and I told him “Don’t forget the horse that got you there”! The Gold Cup can be a procession, but it was a stunningly good race.’
Stradivarius is now likely to have a shot at a second Goodwood Cup. Longer term Gosden seemed particularly keen on the Melbourne Cup in November, a race likely to provide the fast ground Stradivarius needs.
With a bit of luck in running Gosden and Dettori would have also won the concluding King George V Stakes on First Eleven, who ultimately finished third behind Mark Johnston-trained Baghdad.
But they had bagged the big one and delivered an instant pick-me-up for Cracksman’s disappointing defeat in Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
Dettori’s contact riding for Sheik Joaan Al Thani’s Al Shaqab organisation looks like it will end when his deal runs out at the end of the season but the conveyor belt of winners supplied by Gosden should keep him satisfied for the next few years.
He brought this meeting to light. Pity racing’s PR departments when he finally does hang up his saddle. They may want to retire with him.