Dettori the Enabler
Kentucky brings the best out of Dettori
HAVING looted the glittering prizes in Europe, John Gosden now attempts to conquer the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Louisville in Kentucky.
His dominance was also rewarded with a third trainers’ championship at home, which was significantly helped by Roaring Lion, his runner in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
But it will be Enable and Frankie Dettori who will take centre stage at the course that is symbolised by two iconic spires which climb above the grandstand.
Enable attempts to make history by becoming the first horse to win the Arc de Triomphe and Breeders’ Cup Turf – eight have tried and failed.
Restricted to just two races this season after suffering a knee injury, she showed that her appetite for the game has not diminished when making it back-to-back victories in last month’s big race in Paris.
“She has had a clear run since the Arc,” said Gosden. “Obviously, she took a little longer to come out of the Arc, which would be understandable, as she’d not gone in there 100 per cent but I’ve been pleased with her since.
“I’m happy with the draw (two) and I believe the track will not cause any problems.”
Gosden is very much an adopted American. He began his training career in California and celebrated success with Royal Heroine in the inaugural running of the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1984.
Perfectionist
As well as learning a trick or two about training in the States, he can recite every Bob Dylan lyric.
Defeat does not rest easy with the perfectionist. He is still needled about Golden Horn failing to complete the Arc de Triomphe/Breeders’ Cup Turf double in 2015.
The testing conditions were the colt’s undoing when he had to settle for second place behind Found.
Dettori, the partner of Golden Horn on that occasion, believes he can change the face of history – something the Italian has repeatedly achieved throughout his colourful career.
“Records are there to be broken,” he said. “In her favour, she has only raced twice this year. She’s shown her versatility winning around Chester and Epsom, also winning the King George on soft ground.”
Churchill Downs is also very much a spiritual home for the Italian as he partnered his first Breeders’ Cup winner at the track 24 years ago.
“It brings back a lot of great memories,” he said. “I was 23 and I rode my first Breeders’ Cup winner on Barathea and sealed it with my first flying dismount.”
Regarding Roaring Lion’s prospects, in the Classic on the dirt track, Gosden said: “It is a huge challenge for him, having only won the QEII Stakes 14 days ago. Also, the ground and the kick-back is a concern.”
But the colt, the winner of four Group One events in the hands of Oisin Murphy this season, is not one for throwing in the towel.
Dettori also has claims for further success with Sir Michael Stoute’s Expert Eye in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, adding: “I think he has a very good chance,” said Dettori.
“I won on him at York. He’s drawn seven, which isn’t bad at all, but as everyone knows in the Mile you need to get all the breaks.”
He also has a decent shout on the Dermot Weld-trained Eziyra in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Karl Burke and PJ McDonald, who have enjoyed the ride of a lifetime with the five-time Group One
winner Laurens, hope to bring the curtain down on their remarkable season with Havana Grey in the Turf Sprint.
As usual, Aidan O’Brien has a plane load of runners, but he could be upstaged by his fellow Irishman Gavin Cromwell.
His day job is putting the shoes on Gordon Elliott’s runners, but in his spare time Cromwell clearly knows how to prepare a racehorse.
This he showed when Raz De Maree captured the 2018 Welsh Grand National – today he saddles Princess Yaiza, an impressive winner at Longchamp last month, against Eziyra in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
America is known as “the land of opportunity” – expect Dettori to grab it with both hands on Enable.