Dettori shines as Country Grammer wins World Cup

Country Grammer provided Frankie Dettori with a fourth success in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan.

It is 22 years since the ever popular Italian first won Dubai’s showpiece event aboard the great Dubai Millennium. He went on to add to his tally aboard Moon Ballad in 2003 and Electrocutionist in 2006.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Saudi Cup runner-up Country Grammer was part of a formidable American contingent which was headed by red-hot favourite Life Is Good.

Todd Pletcher’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner had successfully stepped up to nine furlongs in the Pegasus World Cup in January, but faced an even sterner stamina test over Meydan’s mile and a quarter.

Life Is Good got off to his usual fast start and led the field into the home turn, but it was obvious with a furlong to run that the petrol tank was emptying quickly and he faded into fourth place.

Dettori, on the other hand, delivered Country Grammer with a perfectly timed challenge and he was ultimately well on top at the line, with Hot Rod Charlie staying on strongly to finish second and Chuwa Wizard capping a great night for Japan in third.

Dettori said: “When I got the sniff that this ride might be going I quickly made calls to Bob and he made me sweat! I’ve known him for 30 years and galloped horses for him in California. Bob said get him out and on the tail of Life Is Good.

“He’s a big horse and did exactly what I wanted him to do until the half-mile pole when I thought Life Is Good was getting away from me.

“I started trying something different to get him on the right leg, give him some fresh air and fill his lungs. Passing the furlong marker I thought ‘I’ve won this’. The last furlong was amazing – such a great feeling.

“Life Is Good is one of the best, but if there was a chink in his armour it was the mile and a quarter.

“This is an important race, and Dubai has taken up a good chunk of my life. Coming back it was as if I’m part of the furniture.”

Baffert’s long-time assistant, Jimmy Barnes, said: “I knew he was a true mile and a quarter horse and we laid out a plan to get the job done.

“He travelled for 26 hours to get to Saudi and came in second, but we knew after that we should give the World Cup a shot.”