DETTORI STARS ON SEVILLE
STAR Of Seville, under a vintage ride from Frankie Dettori, ran out a gutsy winner of the Group One Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly yesterday.
John Gosden’s filly, who was well beaten in the English Oaks nine days ago, continuedthefineformof theNewmarket handler after his Derby success with Golden Horn.
Dettori tracked Clarmina, pacemaker for favourite Queen’s Jewel, and was in the ideal position to kick for home two furlongs out and hold the late surge of Physiocrate and Little Nightingale.
The other British raider, Mick Channon’s Malabar, briefly looked as though she may get involved but could not get close and finished a creditable ninth.
“Frankie and I walked the track this morning and came up with a plan of what to do,” said Gosden.
“He has ridden her beautifully and I said after we walked and planned it, ‘if this works you are a genius’.
“She will have a break and then she could run in the Nassau and the Prix de l’Opera.
“I don’t think she is an Arc filly, I think she is better over the mile and a quarter.
“She is a great filly, who is very strong mentally.”
On the decision to run so soon after Epsom, Gosden said: “She went very, very slowly at Epsom and ran for a furlong and a half up the hill and got knocked over.
“It was a very expensive piece of work, but she came out of it almost angry she didn’t have a race.
“I left her in the first few days and I called Lady Bamford and said ‘this filly is in great form, she is back to her racing weight, please can I run her as she didn’t have a run at Epsom’.
“I said ‘I know it isn’t the normal way to prepare a horse, but please can I run her’ and she was very sporting and said yes.”