ORANGE ON FIRE
START WITH HORSE RACING
FRANKIE DETTORI was full of praise for Big Orange after his mount ran six rivals into the ground in the Group Three Matchbook VIP Henry II Stakes at Sandown last night.
Dettori set the pace on the six-yearold and kicked on three furlongs out. The dual Goodwood Cup winner charged on relentlessly to win by five lengths in the two-mile event from Higher Power.
Dettori was all smiles in the winners’ enclosure, performing his traditional flying dismount.
“I’ve ridden him a couple of times and am getting to know him ® now,” said Dettori. “I knew it would take a good one to get past me. He’s as brave as a lion. “If he runs like that in the Gold Cup he’ll be in the first three. He’d be racing better horses but on that performance he’s entitled to be in the Gold Cup. “It’s nice to see old boys like him performing year after year, it’s great. He’s been around a while and like Persian Punch he wears his heart on his sleeve and that’s what racegoers want to see.” Trainer Michael Bell confirmed Royal Ascot was his star stayer’s next target, for which he is 10-1 for the Gold Cup. Bell said: “It is nice to come back here and have the race won a long way out. “The Ascot Gold Cup will be next, let’s just hope we get the hot weather. He needs summer ground to be at his best.” Autocratic produced a career-best effort under Ryan Moore to win the Group Three Matchbook Brigadier Gerard Stakes for Sir Michael Stoute. Algometer was second, a length and a quarter back, with favourite Steel Of Madrid third.