Dettori to partner Diego Velazquez in Turf Mile challenge

Fresh from big-race success aboard Rebel’s Romance, the services of Frankie Dettori have been snapped up by the Diego Velazquez team ahead of the $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland on Saturday.

The Italian rolled back the years by donning the royal blue silks of former employers Godolphin to win the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic aboard Charlie Appleby’s globetrotting star and there will be a similar nostalgic feel in Kentucky where he will sport the famous Sangster colours aboard Aidan O’Brien’s Prix Jacques le Marois scorer.

It has been a familiar theme throughout the summer to see the now Stateside-based Dettori rekindle associations of old aboard British and Irish raiders and Sam Sangster, whose name Diego Velazquez runs under on behalf of a syndicate he heads, is delighted to have the 54-year-old aboard.

“He’s got a nice draw in four and obviously we’ve got a very exciting jockey booking as well,” said Sangster.

“Frankie remains a world-class jockey at the top of his game and his last ride in a Grade One was a winner (aboard Rebel’s Romance) and our last run in a Group One was a win as well, so hopefully we can combine and keep the run going.

“It gives us plenty of confidence that Frankie is riding for us and not on one of the other ones.”

Diego Velazquez will take on some well known opposition at the Lexington track, with Andrew Balding’s Celebration Mile victor Jonquil and Francis-Henri Graffard’s Prix Jean Prat hero Woodshauna also making the trip from Europe.

However, after a poignant afternoon in Deauville when the colt scooped a maiden Group One success in the Jacques le Marois, his team are full of optimism as they state their Breeders’ Cup case in a race that serves as a ‘win and you’re in’ for the $2 million Mile at Del Mar in early November.

Sangster added: “He’s in great form, I was over in Ballydoyle a couple of weeks ago and he looks tremendous. We head there with every confidence.

“It’s a very deep field and there is a Jean Prat winner in Woodshauna and Jonquil who has run very well in Group One company before and was impressive at Goodwood in the Celebration Mile, as well as some American horses with good, solid form behind them.

“Our Jacques le Marois form has been franked by Charlie Appleby’s horse (Notable Speech, second in Deauville) winning in Canada (Grade One Woodbine Mile) so if you looked at raw form alone then we would probably be seen as the danger to the others. But we certainly have a lot of respect for the others, which I think you have to.”

He added: “I think this was the obvious race and the Moulin would have possibly come too soon for him.

“It’s a race that ticks a lot of boxes. He’s going round a bend and guaranteed to get good ground.

“The race being a ‘win and you’re in’ is another tick which made us gear towards Keeneland. We’re very excited.”

Dettori has also been booked by Simon and Ed Crisford to ride Choisya in the Grade One First Lady Stakes and by Charlie Hills for Khaadem in the Grade Two Woodford Stakes.