When Plan A is a good one and Frankie Dettori is holding the reins, there is rarely a need for Plan B.
The soon-to-be-retired former champion seized control of the International Stakes from the off here on Wednesday, as he fired Mostahdaf, the 3-1 second-favourite, into the lead and then judged the fractions to perfection to fend off Paddington, the 4-6 favourite, and defend his advantage all the way to the line.
Dettori was riding Mostahdaf for the first time in public, having been called up to replace Jim Crowley, the five-year-old’s regular partner, who is serving a 20-day ban for his winning ride on Hukum in the King George at Ascot last month.
“He’s a genius at any racetrack,” John Gosden, who trains both Mostahdaf and Nashwa, Wednesday’s runner-up, said. “He can go anywhere in the world, he’s a chameleon and can adapt to any style of racing.
“He’s a wonderful jockey and we’re going to miss him. I’m sorry for Jim who couldn’t be here but his substitute did pretty bloody well.”
Dettori said that he was confident of success from two furlongs out, when he took a long look over his shoulder and saw Ryan Moore, on Paddington, hard at work with two lengths still to find.
“I said to myself, there’s only one way to beat the horse [Paddington], to be in front of him,” Dettori said. “If he’s in front of me with 7lb more to carry [on Mostahdaf], the champion three-year-old is going to be very difficult to pass.
“He jumped brilliantly, I got into a good even tempo and I thought: right, come and catch me. The key was to get the fractions right, not too slow and not too fast, and thank God, after 36 years, I’ve learned.
“I expected him to be at my quarters [two out] and I still had two lengths’ rope. I knew it would take a good one to catch me.”
Aidan O’Brien, Paddington’s trainer, felt that the favourite was feeling the effects of a busy campaign after four straight wins in Group One events. “Maybe it was a race too much and maybe I pushed him just a little too far,” he said.
“He’s only a baby three-year-old and he did have a grueller the last day [at Goodwood] as well. Ryan felt he was a little bit flat but he still ran a good race, so that’s the way it is.”
Desert Hero, who is owned by the King and Queen, is vying for favouritism for the St Leger at Doncaster next month after Gregory, the ante-post market leader on Wednesday morning, could finish only third of five behind O’Brien’s Continuous in the Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes.
Dettori set a strong gallop from the off on the 8-11 favourite while Moore, on Continuous, was happy to sit last, several lengths off the pace. His decision was justified as the effort took its toll on Gregory with two furlongs left to run, and Continuous made steady progress to take charge a furlong out and eventually beat Castle Way by just under four lengths.
Desert Hero, who took the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood earlier this month, is now top-priced at 6-1 for the Doncaster Classic, a point longer than Savethelastdance, a runner in the Yorkshire Oaks on the Knavesmire on Thursday, and Continuous, with Gregory also on 6-1 (from 5-2).
Gosden, meanwhile, is 2-5 from 4-6 to win the trainers’ championship for the sixth time after his 1-2 in the International Stakes extended his lead over O’Brien by just under £700,000.
Stratford 1.30 Heronord 2.05 Jeepydoff Meel 2.40 Presentandcounting 3.15 Robber’s Bridge 3.50 Lady Gwen 4.25 Call Of The Loon 5.00 Mill House Creek
Chepstow 1.40 Evasive Power 2.15 Corellian Star 2.50 Mexicali Rose 3.25 Diamondsinthesand 3.55 Lunanera 4.30 Galactic Glow
York 1.50 Cherry Blossom 2.25 Persica (nb) 3.00 Sonny Liston (nap) 3.35 Warm Heart 4.10 Modaara 4.45 Aragon Castle 5.20 Farhh To Shy
Fontwell 5.05 Bari Breeze 5.40 Climbing 6.15 Frankie Faulkner 6.50 City Of Ruins 7.20 Hardy Boy 7.50 Uggy Uggy Uggy
Chelmsford 5.55 Wonderwall 6.30 Belo Horizonte 7.05 Covert Mission 7.35 Zero Carbon 8.05 Ask Peter 8.35 The Waiting Game
Thursday tipping
Favourite-backers are on a six-year winning run in the Group One Yorkshire Oaks, the highlight on day two of the Ebor Festival at York, but this year’s renewal has the first double-figure field since 2016 and Savethelastdance, the likely market leader, could be one to take on.
Aidan O’Brien’s filly is one of just two previous Group One winners in the race but left it very late in the Irish Oaks last time and all her winning form is with plenty of cut in the ground.
Al Husn, meanwhile, looked fortunate to win the Nassau at Goodwood, where the odds-on favourite was caught in a pocket, and the value may lie with Savethelastdance’s stable companion, Warm Heart (3.35).
She progressed rapidly in the spring and ran out an impressive winner of the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot before seeming to find the soft ground against her in the Irish Oaks. A return to her earlier form on a better surface would put her right in the mix.
York 1.50 Cherry Blossom was only fourth of seven on her debut in July but left that form a long way behind when powering five lengths clear of a big field in a Curragh maiden earlier this month. That still gives her a little to find with Relief Rally and Flora Of Bermuda, second and sixth respectively in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot in June, but with just two runs behind her, she is a fair price bet to bridge the gap.
York 2.25 Richard Hannon saddles four runners in pursuit of his sixth win in this sales event in the last eight years, and Persica looks like the clear team leader. He was much-improved just three days on from his debut when overcoming a slow start to win at Salisbury last week and further progress seems highly likely.
York 3.00 The drop back to a mile after an outing at 10 furlongs saw a return to form for Sonny Liston in the Golden Mile at Goodwood and it is a slight surprise to see that he is a couple of pounds lower here. A strong pace is all but certain and York should be more suitable for his hold-up style of racing.
York 4.10 Having travelled eye-catchingly well for much of the way, Modaara did not seem to let herself down on firm ground in a Group Three at Haydock last time and deserves another chance on a more forgiving surface.
