Dettori ready to grab some Meydan magic

Looking lean and eager and anything but an elite sportsman ready to give it all up, Frankie Dettori bounced into Meydan this week to join forces again with his old guv’nor John Gosden and his even older bosses Godolphin.

The 53-year-old unretired Italian, now a resident of California, is in Dubai for World Cup night on Saturday. So are several other world-class jockeys, including five more British champions: William Buick, Oisin Murphy, Jim Crowley, Ryan Moore and Jamie Spencer.

But all eyes will be on Dettori, especially when Gosden gives him the leg up on Godolphin’s Lord North in the Dubai Turf.

The eight-year-old Lord North has already won the Group One three times, and though all good things must come to an end, the bookies aren’t offering anything better than 7-1 that he makes it four.

Gosden appeared well satisfied with both horse and jockey after their work-out spin around the track. “Frankie looks in very good form,” he said. “He’s riding fitter and lighter than I’ve ever seen him.”

Dettori has three more choice rides on the card, starting with Charlie Appleby’s Star of Mystery, also for Godolphin (Buick can’t do the weight) in the Al Quoz Sprint.

Later he pals up with US Hall of Fame trainers William Mott (Bold Journey in the Golden Shaheen) and Bob Baffert (Newgate in the near £10m Dubai World Cup).

Gosden and his son also have four Meydan runners. Nashwa and Hollie Doyle in the Turf, Kieran Shoemark on Trawlerman in the Dubai Gold Cup and Emily Upjohn in the Sheema Classic.