Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)

THURSDAY was very much Frankie day at Ascot, and the irrepressible Italian kicked it off in style when winning the Norfolk on Simon Crisford’s A’Ali, owned by Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa of Bahrain.

The Society Rock colt was beaten when well fancied on his debut at Ripon, but clocked a fast time in pulling well clear of the others, and confirmed that promise with a smooth success here.

Ventura Rebel chase the winner home, getting within a neck at the line as the winner idled, and in doing so fully backed up his defeat of the much-touted Lady Pauline here on his previous start, which will have been some consolation for his new owner Abdullah Menahi. The pair were two and three-quarter lengths clear of Karl Burke’s Dubai Station in third.

“I used to think having winners at Royal Ascot was like picking apples off a tree,” said the Newmarket handler in reference to his former job with Godolphin. “Since I’ve started training it hasn’t been quite as simple as that, but it means everything. Frankie is obviously the go-to jockey when you really need somebody - he was available and he gave A’Ali a super ride.

“Shaikh Duaij’s uncle used to own horses like Jellaby in the 1970s. He has always been a huge enthusiast and this is his first runner at the royal meeting.

“I think A’Ali will get six furlongs. He is out of a Motivator mare so we could look at stepping him up in trip. The doors are open with him. He’s small, he’s neat, he’s tidy and he’ll have a proper two-year-old campaign.”

Great memories

Dettori reflected on his relationship with the winning trainer: “I spent half of my 30 years in racing with Simon - we’ve both gone our own ways and he’s now training. This brings back some great memories and I’m really delighted. We’re all family.”

Richard Fahey said of the runner-up: “He ran a blinder. No excuses, they were a long way clear of the rest and we’re very pleased. The soft option here was the Windsor Castle Stakes, but I thought we’d nearly win this. I got it wrong.”

Karl Burke was looking to the future with Dubai Station, who stayed on from a fair way back: “We knew he needed the extra furlong, to be honest, but his owner wanted to come here. In a way it’s worked out really well. He’s won on soft ground but he probably wants it a little bit better.

“Jamie gave him a great ride, and we were always going to ride him to finish. If he’d been on his head early on I don’t think he would have finished so well. We’re very happy, and we’ll aim him at the Gimcrack which the owner won last year with a horse trained by Kevin Ryan.”