THREE-time British champion jockey Frankie Dettori walked out of Royal Ascot for the final time as a rider last Saturday with 81 winners to his name following four more successes during the course of the five days (from 25 rides).

The 52-year-old may not have been able to match Ryan Moore’s tally of six wins and earn himself an eighth leading jockey’s title at the meeting, but it brought down the curtain on a magnificent career at the fixture nevertheless. The Italian had his first ride at Royal Ascot in 1987, partnered his first winner on Markofdistinction in the 1990 Queen Anne Stakes, and rode in his first Ascot Gold Cup in 1991 when finishing second aboard the Luca Cumani-trained Arzanni before going one better the following year when steering Drum Taps to the first of his two wins in the week’s showpiece event.

It was therefore fitting that Dettori won the race for a ninth time on the John and Thady Gosden trained Courage Mon Ami, a yard who have supplied him with 22 of those Royal winners. Between 1987 and 2023, Dettori rode at least one winner in 28 individual years during that time period.

Second only to Lester Piggott (116 winners) in the all-time list, although that is likely to change shortly with the aforementioned Ryan Moore breathing down his neck only two behind, Royal Ascot isn’t going to be quite the same in future without L.Dettori featuring on the racecard.

Absentee

News broke on Tuesday that Frankie Dettori has been ruled out of the one big race he was keen to win before calling time on his career, namely the July Cup.

Given an eight-day ban following his ride on Inspiral in the Queen Anne Stakes last week, he won’t be available to partner Kinross, who made a promising return to action in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes last weekend.

Ralph Beckett’s six-year-old has been a successful ally for Dettori winning five times on the 11 occasions they have combined, including the Qipco British Champion Sprint Stakes at Ascot last Autumn.

Significantly, the ground was good to soft on that occasion and, while the Kingman gelding won the Group 2 City of York Stakes and finished a close third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile last year on a fast surface, both those races were over further.

Beaten five lengths last Saturday, the ground was good to firm and it was Kinross’ first run for 231 days. Still very much in contention approaching the final furlong, Dettori wasn’t hard on his mount late on, conscious that there was a big day ahead in three weeks time.

At his best during the second half of the season – Kinross has never won before 29th May – the dual Group 1 winner will be racing on the July course for the first time and the stiff uphill finish will play to his strengths. Granted good or slower conditions, the 7/1 currently on offer makes plenty of appeal even without the Italian in the saddle.

Brighter lights for Appleby outside of Ascot

THE leading trainer award at the Royal Meeting went to Aidan O’Brien for a 12th time with four winners, the same as John and Thady Gosden, but the Ballydoyle outfit were also responsible for half a dozen seconds.

In total, 25 individual trainers got their names on the scoresheet during the course of the five days. The most notable absentee was British champion Charlie Appleby who drew a blank from 18 runners. His form figures for the week were 4,8,4,6,14,3,6,6,24,29,3,8,9,17,7,12,6,3 earning £206,521 in the process.

Only Adayar (Prince of Wales), Bold Act (Hampton Court) and Local Dynasty (Golden Gates) managed to get in the first three. Ironically, the stable’s runners elsewhere last week produced four winners from five runners, including the exciting Imperial Emperor at Newmarket. The Dubawi colt, who hails from the same family as the yard’s four times Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath, was an impressive juvenile winner on the Rowley Mile last autumn and touted as Charlie Appleby’s Derby horse for 2023.

Unfortunately, those plans were dashed following a setback in the spring and he didn’t make his reappearance until last Saturday. Making all in a mile novice stakes – which was won by the brilliant Baaeed two years earlier – he readily brushed aside his five opponents by upwards of two and three quarter lengths.

Entered in the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe, stiffer tasks lie ahead but Imperial Emperor is a colt with a big future, especially when stepping up in distance. Along with St Leger runner-up New London, who is due to run in the Listed Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket today, Charlie Appleby has plenty to look forward to. Form is temporary, class is permanent.

THE King George V Stakes on day three of Royal Ascot is invariably won and contested by subsequent pattern performers.

The likes of Dandino (2010), Brown Panther (2011), Trip To Paris (2014), Dartmouth (2015), Cross Counter (2018), Hukum and Subjectivist (2020) and Deauville Legend (2022) have all gone to bigger and better things having lined up in the 12-furlong heritage handicap.

The 2023 version was run at a frenetic gallop which played into the hands of the hold-up runners. The front-running Davideo, who was drawn wide in stall 19, covered the second, third and fourth furlongs in 10.22, 10.63 and 11.50 seconds.

Not surprisingly, Ralph Beckett’s runner was a spent force by the time he turned for home and it took him 16.78 seconds to cover the final furlong before finishing last. Indeed, the first four at Swinley Bottom, which is approximately a mile from home, were Davideo, Sisyphus Strength, Mr Mistoffelees and Struth and they eventually finished 19th, 18th, 17th and 13th respectively. Conversely, the first three home Desert Hero, Valiant King and Bertinelli were positioned 16th, 11th and 14th at Swinley Bottom. Both Wonder Legend (eighth) and Perfuse (fifth) also sat close to the frantic early pace and were still in contention inside the final two furlongs. Both runner’s performances should therefore be marked up and the pair are worth bearing in mind for something similar later this summer.

There is a £75,000 0-105 three year old handicap at Goodwood (August 2nd), which is tailor made for James Ferguson and Sir Michael Stoute’s colts.