Genius Dettori seals his sweet 16

Frankie Dettori secured a 16th Group one win of the season with a canny front-running ride on Star catcher to seal a three-quarter length victory in the prix Vermeille at Longchamp yesterday.

Just 24 hours after landing the St Leger on Star catcher’s John Gosden- trained stable- mate Logician, Dettori dictated terms on board the irish oaks winner before seeing off Musis Amica having always looked in control.

Gosden’s English oaks winner Anapurna endured a rough passage in seventh but the result again highlighted the deep pool of talented fillies in the trainer’s newmarket stable, the best of which is clearly Enable.

The trip to France also allowed Dettori ( below) and Gosden a close-up view of one of the biggest obstacles to Enable winning a third prix de L’Arc de Triomphe at the same venue in three weeks, when Sottsass sprinted to victory in the prix niel on his first run since winning the French Derby in June.

Star catcher’s next run could be in either the Filly & Mares Stakes at Ascot next month, or she could be saved for the Breeders’ cup in california in november.

‘Frankie controlled the race,’ said Gosden. ‘He is a bit of genius when he does that. Star catcher is a brave filly. When they come to her, she goes again.’

Gosden must have always been impressed with Jean- claude rouget-trained Sottsass. Jockey cristian Demuro only got clear in the last 75 yards but his mount showed a potent weapon at the end of a race.

Dermot Weld-trained Search For A Song, who finished fourth behind Star catcher in the irish oaks, landed yesterday’s irish Leger at the curragh but the outstanding performance on day two of irish champions weekend was the nine-length win of charlie Appleby-trained pinatubo in the Group one national Stakes.