Fearless Frankie is on top despite bad fall in opener
FRANKIE DETTORI picked himself off the turf after a crashing fall in the opening race at Newmarket to win the feature Group One Dewhurst Stakes on Chaldean with a trademark frontrunning ride.
Dettori was fired into the ground when Liftoff clipped the heels of a rival and came down three furlongs out in the Zetland Stakes.
The 51-year-old was clutching an ice pack to his right arm as he waited to accept his winning Dewhurst Stakes trophy — and while he had still performed his signature flying dismount after the Andrew Balding-trained colt held off a fast-finishing Royal Scotsman by a head, there was a clear puffing out of the cheeks as he landed.
Dettori said: ‘It wasn’t fun, it shook me up a bit. It takes the wind out of you. I don’t know how those jump jockeys do it. The first thing I did after the fall was to check everything was working.
‘It was a good performance from Chaldean. I kick and got two lengths on the rest and thought I was home and hosed, but I probably kicked too early and was slowing down and the rest were staying on at the end.
‘He is very tough and from what I have seen at the moment you could not kick him out of the first three in next season’s 2,000 Guineas.’
Chaldean is an 8-1 shot for that race after adding to his previous wins in the Acomb Stakes at York and the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. The only colt in front of him
in the 2,000 Guineas betting is Phoenix Stakes winner Little Big Bear (5-1).
Balding is in his first season training horses for the Juddmonte Farm operation and he was registering a first win in a race which his father Ian landed three times with Silly Season (1964), Mill Reef (1970) and Dashing Blade (1989).
Balding said: ‘All credit to Frankie, he was adamant that this was the race for Chaldean after he won at Doncaster. It is a nice collection of races he has won.
‘The nice thing is that he is relaxed and should go on to stay a mile next year.’
Chaldean’s winning form in the Champagne Stakes had earlier been franked when the third from the race, Charlie Applebytrained Silken Knott, had won the Group Three Autumn Stakes under William Buick.
The Godolphin trainer and his stable jockey won the Zetland Stakes with Flying Honours, who carries hopes that he will become a Derby contender.