Matt Chapman: Frankie Dettori goes back to his roots for a crack at £10 million Dubai World Cup
SUPERSTAR jockey Frankie Dettori returns to his UAE roots today for what he says is the last time in a bid to land another £10 million Dubai World Cup.
But will it really be the final occasion the Italian is out to grab the big Dubai cash?
Our man Chappers is back with his latest columnNews Group Newspapers Ltd.
Dettori teams up with last year’s hero, Country Grammer, in the one and a quarter mile event on dirt.
The world’s most famous rider said: “This is my last Dubai World Cup, and I’ve got one of the leading fancies, so it feels like there’s a bit of extra pressure on, but I’m looking forward to it.”
For those of you that don’t know, Dettori is on a farewell tour. And it’s a similar one to what you might imagine Beyoncé will do one day.
Sheikh Mohammed’s former number one Godolphin rider is not bowing out in a month or two, but at some point towards the end of this year. Possibly after the Breeders’ Cup, but that is not set in stone.
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Added to which, many have suggested that the success that Dettori has had in California – and around the globe – over the last few weeks is something that he might try and replicate once again.
Victories have numbered Country Grammer in the Grade 2 San Antonio and Elite Power in a hugely valuable race in Saudi Arabia.
If that was the case, then what chance next winter he gets on the type of animal that might then head out to Dubai in 2024? Quite a good one is the answer.
And in that scenario it’s hard to think that Dettori would just give up the dollar. Time will tell. But ‘show me the money’ was a great line in the movie Jerry Maguire.
Dettori has won the Dubai World Cup four times, which equals the number banged in by Jerry Bailey. And his winners include the huge Dubai Millennium, Moon Ballad, Electrocutionist and, of course, the defending champion.
Country Grammer is a grinder. In many ways, he is a rare American horse in that he stays the Dubai World Cup distance of a mile and a furlong really strongly.
There should be a strong pace to run at here with the horse who beat Country Grammer in the Saudi Cup, Panthalassa, a natural speedster on the front end.
That will help Country Grammer’s stamina come into play, but he will need the pace to collapse to pick up the pieces. Quite simply he got going too late in Riyadh last time.
Incredibly Algiers, trained by our very own Simon and Ed Crisford, could go off favourite having been beaten at Lingfield three runs ago!
Since being in Dubai, Algiers has just blossomed,and hacked up in two decent events. What a chance he gives James Doyle, a man whose career took off when Cityscape took a huge Dubai prize back in the day.
The Dubai World Cup will be live on ITV, which is great news, and the terrestrial channel will also show the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic a belter of a Group 1.
Matt Chapman’s ITV Racing tips
Newbury
1.30 Inneston
2.05 Riders On The Storm each-way
2.40 Great Snow each-way
Kelso
1.50 Coral Blue
2.25 Theme Tune
3.00 Bonttay
3.35 Clonguile Way
Meydan
3.10 Real World each-way
4.00 Equinox
4.35 Panthalassa
Heading the list is the Japanese horse of the year, Equinox, who looks an absolute monster and comes into this on the back of an Arima Kinen success at Nakayama which is very strong form indeed.
Lining up against him is Breeders’ cup Turf hero Rebel’s Romance, another for Doyle, who has landed nine his twelve starts, and Mostahdaf, who just blew the mind in Riyadh when a blistering victor in late February.
The fast surface looks crucial for the John and Thady Gosden challenger.
Throw in the Epsom third and Irish Derby hero Westover, the mount of Ryan Moore, and Japan’s Shahryar who scored in 2022 and you have a race not to miss. Off-time in the UK is 4pm.
Familiar names also in the Group 1 Dubai turf, where Lingfield winner Lord North goes for the Gosdens and Dettori. You might remember he dead-heated in this last year with Panthalassa.
I have a feeling Real World is too big a price here, however, for Saeed bin Suroor and Oisin Murphy.
The former Royal Ascot winner, second to Baaeed in the 2022 Lockinge at Newbury, has been out of sorts of late but surely will have been readied for this by Saeed. He’s at too big odds for his talent and I’ll risk a few quid each-way.
Dettori is back. But for how long might depend on showing him the money!
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