IT’S PIER PRESSURE
Frankie hails Palace as one of the best ever
PALACE PIER had his rivals all at sea in the Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes — and drew high praise from Frankie Dettori.
In a stellar career spanning three-and-a-half decades, the 50-year-old has ridden some star milers like Markofdistinction, Barathea, Mark Of Esteem and Dubai Millennium.
And the Italian reckons Palace Pier could yet prove the best of the lot after he galloped to a third career Group 1 triumph with a lengthand-a-half margin over 22-1 shot Lady Bowthorpe.
“He’s got everything you want,” said Dettori of
the John Gosden-trained four-year-old. “He’s a wonderful athlete and he’s got a good temperament.
“The horse has only run eight times and he can only get better. He’s great to be around. He loves racing and he’s one of the best milers I’ve ridden.
“He’s got to trot up a sequence of Group 1s to be the best miler I’ve sat on but at the moment everything is in the right place and it’s only the beginning of the season.”
Punters sent Palace Pier, an eight-length winner at Sandown last month on his comeback, off at 1-2 to add to last season’s top-level victories in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville in August.
And the son of Kingman travelled with ease before a burst of speed with two furlongs of the one-mile test remaining.
“He usually hits a flat spot between the three and the two, so I went to lay up and the next minute he went ‘whoosh’ and just pretty obvious at this took off,” added Dettori. stage – let’s go to the
“I hit the front past the Queen Anne, and we will two – I was a long time in think about whether we front – but he won like a want to change trip after really good horse. A that,” said the champion serious horse.” trainer. “I would think the
Gosden will return Juddmontewould be a Palace Pier to He’s got strong the royal everything you possibility.” meeting next want and he can Al Aasy month only get better strolled to before he victory in mulls over a step up in the Group 3 Al Rayyan distance for the 10-furlong Stakes – and is now the Juddmonte International 7-4 favourite for the at York in August. “It’s Coronation Cup at Epsom on June 4. The William Haggas-trained Sea The Stars colt hardly came out of second gear to score by four lengths and earn a step up to Group 1 company.
“I couldn’t really fault him today,” admitted Haggas. “He’s good at home and he always looks like Nijinsky against the others. It was a nice performance.
“He’s a very wellbalanced horse and I think he’ll glide round Epsom.”