Frankie Dettori was having a great final year…until day 1 of Epsom’s Derby meeting that is, when his year went from ‘great’ to ‘unbelievable’ as he won both Group 1 races on the card, the Oaks and the Coronation Cup.
In the Coronation Cup Dettori was on board the John and Thady Gosden trained Emily Upjohn. She’d been unlucky on the same card last year when some blamed Dettori for a rare ill-judged ride as she finished a close runner up in the Oaks. No such mistakes this year however as he sent her on up the straight to draw clear of a relatively strong looking filed to win convincingly from Westover.
He received a rousing reception from the crowd but it was tame compared to the jubilation just over an hour later when he came from last to first on Soul Sister, again trained by the Gosdens, to win the Oaks, double atonement on the day then for that Oaks defeat 12 months ago.
After the Oaks an understandably hyped up Dettori was in typically ebullient form.
“It means a lot to win the Oaks seven times” he said. “Lady Bamford has been a huge supporter of mine. This is my second Group 1, two great fillies and I just want to soak it all in.”
Among those heaping plaudits on the soon-to-be-retired jockey was Soul Sister’s owner Lady Bamford for whom Dettori has partnered many winners over the years. “…It’s a dream. There’s extra pressure with Frankie riding, of course there is, but I’ve known him for a long time and I was thrilled for him – he’s going to have the season of his life, he’s just the best.”
Hot favourite for The Oaks, the Aidan O’Brien trained Savethelastdance, ran well but without quite showing the same brilliance she’d displayed when routing the field in the Cheshire Oaks last time out. She stayed on to last just better than the third, the Jack Channon trained Caernarfon who outran her 40/1 starting odds.
In the wake of Soul Sister’s win the money came strongly for the Gosden trained Arrest in tomorrow’s Derby with Dettori’s final ride in the world’s most famous classic race now looking like starting favourite.
