Frankie Dettori can look forward to riding a host of star names for the remainder of this season and beyond after being appointed retained rider to owner Sheikh Joaan Al Thani.
Photo by Racing and Sports
While Richard Hughes will keep the ride on those trained by Richard Hannon, including Toronado and Olympic Glory, Dettori will be linking up with the Marco Botti-trained Planteur, for whom the big target at the end of the season is likely to be the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Botti said: "Frankie has been riding for us recently and he rode Planteur when he ran in Hong Kong a few years ago. It is good news he has signed a contract to ride for Sheikh Joaan, it is very exciting and it will be great to have Frankie as part of the team. Regarding plans for the horse, we always said we would give him a break in the summer to keep him away from fast ground and that is what we are doing.
"The race I would really like to run him in is the Breeders' Cup Classic, as I think he would handle the surface and his style of racing would suit the race. If we decide that is the target, we will work backwards from there and a race that would fit in quite nicely is the Irish Champion Stakes. The ground is important - we won't run him on fast ground - but if conditions are suitable the Irish Champion Stakes could be his next race."
Dettori has ridden five previous winners of the Irish Champion Stakes, including last year's heroine Snow Fairy, and has also tasted Breeders' Cup Classic glory with 2008 scorer Raven's Pass.
Another horse the Italian will partner in the coming months is the Nicolas Clement-trained French 2,000 Guineas scorer Style Vendome. Although he was slightly disappointing in finishing fourth in Sunday's Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly, Clement believes there is still plenty for Dettori to look forward to.
Clement said: "The owner has signed a contract with Frankie and I am very happy for him to ride for us. I am sad for my stable jockey (Thierry Thulliez), who has done a great job with the horse, but Frankie is top class and he has ridden winners for us before."
On plans for his stable star, Clement said: "He ran below-par and we are doing some tests on him. There is nothing obvious yet, other than he was maybe lacking freshness. It's clear he did not run up to his best, as he beat the Prix Jean Prat winner (Havana Gold) in the French Guineas. The horse will have a break now. I need to discuss plans with his owner, but his next race could be the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp in September. I don't think he will go to Deauville (for the Prix Jacques le Marois)."
Dettori has already ridden for Sheikh Joaan, notably partnering the Mikel Delzangles-trained Mshawish and Richard Fahey's Sandiva at Royal Ascot. Mshawish was far from disgraced in finishing fourth in the St James's Palace Stakes, while Sandiva filled the runner-up spot in the Albany Stakes.
Delzangles said: "Frankie rode the horse at Ascot and I am happy he will hopefully be riding him again. The horse is very well and the plan is to come down in class with him now for a Listed race at Deauville at the start of August. We'll see how that goes and then see where we go."
