Frankie Dettori will no doubt have an enviable book of rides next week at Royal Ascot, and the 48-year-old Italian has nominated the G1 Gold Cup title defender Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) as “the one I'm looking forward to riding.”
Stradivarius was one of Britain's most admirable horses in training last season, sweeping all five starts and clinching the inaugural £1-million stayers' million bonus. Dettori was aboard the chestnut for a successful reintroduction in the G2 Yorkshire Cup on May. 17 and he said, “He is doing very well and is very fresh. He has become the people's favourite horse. The great thing about him is that he wears his heart on the sleeve, and he never goes down without a fight and people appreciate that.
“The Queen only comes down to give the trophy out for the Gold Cup and Diamond Jubilee, so it is an honour to receive the trophy from her,” Dettori added.
Stradivarius's Yorkshire Cup win means a chance at a second stayers' million bonus is alive and well, but Dettori stressed the Gold Cup is the priority at the moment.
“[Owner] Bjorn Nielsen's priority is to win a second Gold Cup,” he said. “The million, we will only think about if we get to the last leg.”
Dettori's rides will also include Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is on a recovery mission, in the G1 St James's Palace S.
“We've been unfortunate, because we've had to rush to get him on a racecourse,” said Dettori referring to his setback early in the spring. “We tried the Dante. But he didn't stay, and that was perhaps a lack of fitness. We tried the Irish Guineas–and he was not last, he was second. I feel I've not got him where I want him to be. Hopefully at Ascot on Tuesday, you see the old Too Darn Hot. I feel he has got more to give and you haven't seen the real him yet this season. He looks well and came out of the Irish 2000 Guineas well. He is an amazing horse to ride in the mornings–I sit on him once in a while.”
Trainer John Gosden, who has 47 Royal Ascot wins to his name, also shed some light on Too Darn Not's preparation.
“Too Darn Hot has probably been the worst managed horse this year, by me and the manager,” he said. “He missed the Guineas which was tragedy because that would have been a perfect race. He then had to walk for two weeks before going for the Dante, when he was quite frankly about 80% fit. Frankie was trying to settle him further back and ignored the pacemakers and consequently got there to be second.
“Then, as we seemed to be missing the Classics, we went over to Ireland nine days later. Due to the rules, he had to have a flu vaccination–he was perfectly eligible to race in the UK but not in Ireland as they changed the rules so he had to have a flu vaccination on the Saturday after the Dante before the Irish 2000 Guineas the following Saturday. He ran really well in Ireland and finished second, but we all ask horses to do impossible things and I think it would have been much better if we had targeted the Irish Guineas from the outset. From the horse's point of view, that has not been very clever.
“Having said that, Too Darn Hot is coming into the St James's Palace S. in good form and I hope that he can put in a quality performance as he certainly has not had the opportunity to do that so far this season with his more than interrupted preparation through the spring. I think I am the happiest I have been with him so far this season. Last year went so smoothly it was almost ridiculous, a maiden followed by a Group 3, a Group 2 and a Group 1. This year has been quite the opposite. The good news is that we are only halfway through the season so there is still a lot to look forward to.”
Another Group 1 mount for Frankie Dettori next week will be Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Prince of Wales's S., and as per usual trainer Sir Michael Stoute heads to Ascot with a strong team that also includes G1 Lockinge S. winner Mustashry (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}) and exciting 3-year-old filly Jubiloso (GB) (Shamardal).
“Crystal Ocean will go in the Prince of Wales's S.,” Stoute said. “He has to go for Group 1 races now and he has won plenty of Group 2 and Group 3 races. He has run creditably in Group 1 races and has decent 10-furlong form. It is a very tough race, but he goes there in great form. Frankie Dettori rides him and sat on him yesterday morning.
“Mustashry runs in the Queen Anne. I was thrilled with him in the Lockinge and his preparations have gone fine. He is impervious to ground conditions which is very handy, and we are hopeful.
“It will be a big step up for Jubiloso in the Coronation S. as she has only won a maiden and a novice race. But she has been very impressive and is progressive. She is a classy filly.
One of Crystal Ocean's chief rivals in a loaded Prince of Wales's will be the filly Sea of Class (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), and her trainer William Haggas could be faced with finding a last-minute jockey should Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) elect to run, requiring James Doyle.
“James Doyle will ride Masar if he runs in the race, but according to James, no decision has been made yet,” Haggas said. “Hopefully, he is available, but if not I've got my ideas on some jockeys who could ride as does the owner Mrs. Tsui, who has had jockeys ringing her up, so we will cross that bridge when we come to it.”
In other Royal Ascot news on Thursday, Godolphin's G2 Queen Mary S. favourite Chasing Dreams (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) has been ruled out after suffering a setback. The chestnut filly was a five-length winner on her lone start at Newmarket on Apr. 16.
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