Frankie Dettori's fairytale final Royal Ascot continued as he partnered Porta Fortuna (5-1) to victory in the Albany Stakes on day four to bring up his 80th win at the meeting.
Having won the Gold Cup on Courage Mon Ami yesterday and the Queen's Vase on board Gregory the day before, the Italian rider – who retires at the end of the season – grabbed another success under the Donnacha O'Brien-trained daughter of Caravaggio. It was a first success for O'Brien, the former top Flat rider and son of Ballydoyle maestro Aidan O'Brien. Porta Fortuna – who had won both her previous starts including a Group Three Fillies Stakes at Naas last time – was always travelling well under Dettori. She stylishly made her move through to challenge Matrika (9-1), trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore. Porta Fortune went clear to win by a length from Matrika with Soprano (13-2) the same distance back in third.
Dettori was overjoyed to reach the 80-winner mark at the Royal meeting. He said: "Eighty winners at Royal Ascot – unbelievable! I've fulfilled my dream. Ascot has always been special to me, I love it so much, and to reach 80 winners is incredible. At the moment this filly feels like a sprinter, but only time will tell. She quickened for me, tries really hard. She feels like a sprinter to me, but time will tell. she has American owners so why "the Breeders' Cup). She has got enough speed. One hundred per cent I wanted to get to the 80 winners... I thought 'God, I've got to get three, but it is easier said than done, but now I have done it, 'Yes!' it is a big number!"
Donnacha O'Brien was delighted to join his father and also brother Joseph on the Royal Ascot honours' board. And he is excited by his progressive filly, who has American owners, so could head to the Breeders' Cup at the end of the year. He said: "It means a lot (to train a first Royal Ascot winner). She is a very smart filly, and big congratulations to all the owners, they spotted her potential early and bought into her and the plan was to come here and it is great that it has come off. She travelled really well, she is a very good filly, she quickened smartly but she kept going to the line well. She is just a very smart filly.
"We'll take her home and see how she comes out of it. She is quite a scopey filly – she is owned by a bunch of American owners so the Breeders' Cup will be a target, whether she will stay that far or not we will see. We will see how she comes out of the race, then we will make a plan. All the owners are Americans, big congratulations to all of them, (bloodstock agent) Mark McStay bought her for them, and to be fair they saw her potential and they know it is a big gamble to buy a filly out of a maiden. But they have been proven right so fair play to them."
After Donnacha O'Brien landed his first winner as a trainer brother Joseph grabbed his second as Okita Soushi (9-1) came through from the back to win the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes. Under Ryan Moore, Okita Soushi battled well to score by a neck from HMS President (11-1) with Godolphin's front-running Live Your Dream (15-2) – second at Haydock Park last month – stayed on for third a length-and-three-quarters adrift with Ajero (20-1) a further three-quarters-of-a-length back in fourth.
Joseph O'Brien said: "He ran a great race here last year, and it is special to get a winner this week. He needs the right set up but I thought it was wonderful ride by Ryan. I am delighted for everyone, all the owners and the team at home. We have had a frustrating week, we have hit the crossbar a few times but it is great to get a winner now. He is always slow early, Ryan was happy to take his time and come with one run late. And if we got the right set up we knew we'd have a chance to win, but we were a little hostage to how it set up. It is nice that it set up right."
Of winning rider Moore, the Irish trainer added: "He is the best jockey in the world, so when we are lucky enough to get him the odd time it is very special. he has been riding at the top of his game for a number of years now, he has had a wonderful week he is a special jockey. It is great to have him. So delighted."
On his brother's winner earlier, O'Brien said: "Super proud, Donnacha is doing a fantastic job, his two-year-olds have been on fire and he deserves an Ascot winner. I am delighted for the owners and Mum bred the filly, it is special day."
The John and Thady Gosden-trained Coppice (6-1 favourite) gave Dettori his fourth winner of the week and 81st overall with victory in the Sandringham Stakes. Italian jockey Dettori had Coppice tucked away in the pack on the stands' side group for much of the early stages of the mile handicap. But she came through to lead and went on to score by a length from Breege (33-1) with Balalaika (66-1) three-quarters-of-a-length back in third and Unless (14-1) a further two lengths adrift in fourth.
Dettori said: "That was a good effort and the Juddmonte team are here, including His Highness and all the stud people, so to get a winner for them is amazing. They have been great supporters of me going back to the filly Enable and other good horses, so to get a winner on the board I'm very pleased. At one point we thought this was a Guineas filly, but she didn't come to hand until too late, so we put her in this race thinking she would be competitive and she was. I love Ascot, I will miss it, but I'm enjoying the moment. I won my first Gold Cup in 1992 and 31 years later I ride another one, my ninth. It's been a good place for me and I've still got tomorrow."
Roger Varian's King Of Steel gained some compensation for his defeat in the Betfred Derby at Epsom by going one better in the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes. The Wooton Bassett colt ran a superb race as a 66-1 outsider on his first start of the season at Epsom, only succumbing late on to the smart Aidan O'Brien-trained Auguste Rodin. But back down in grade the improving three-year-old colt, under Kevin Stott – in the purple and white colours of Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing – was settled in the rear for much of the race before making his move around the outside on the turn for home. He went to score by three-and-a-half lengths from from to O'Brien's Continuous (9-1) to land the ‘Ascot Derby’.
Winning jockey Stott said: "I was nervous, and I'm not going to lie to you. There was a bit of pressure, and after finishing second in the Derby you have to go out and prove it was no fluke. He's a very good horse. We didn't go very fast and he was a bit keen. I couldn't really get him to drop it [the bit] until halfway and I was a little nervous at that point thinking he might have been too keen, but in a matter of strides we were in front and he was just lengthening. He could easily go back to 10 furlongs because he has plenty of speed, and he's so quick on his feet for such a big horse.
"He has a blue eye on one side and you have to be nice and relaxed with him because he might be a tiny bit blind on that side. You can see how big he is, and if he stays in training next year and fills into this big frame you don't know how good he could be. It's very exciting for me and for Kia (Joorabchian, owner) to have such a good horse. My mum flew over for the week, my dad's watching on television and it's brilliant. This horse can probably take me to the good races, which is where you want to be when you are a jockey."
Varian added: “It is a relief! When they run so big in the Derby, you want them to back it up. We were confident King Of Steel would, but this is horseracing! We went on the signs that the horse was giving us. Raul Da Silva has done a wonderful job riding this horse most mornings, as has the whole team at home. I am delighted for Kia (Joorabchian), and was delighted that Kia got his winner yesterday, it took a bit of the pressure off us! I am delighted for the horse – he is a beautiful horse and, for a big horse, he is so agile. He confirmed today what he did in the Derby, which is very satisfying.”
When questioned whether the Grand Prix de Paris will be the horse's next target, Varian said: "Possibly, that is what we'd like to do, but a lot can change with horses so let's see how he is tomorrow."
Owner Joorabchian said: “I could hardly watch the whole way round, but when I heard the shouting in my box I knew we had hit the front. I was staying quiet until it happened. I love this track so much. I loved it as a kid and I wanted to run here, even though I know it was a big decision not to go for the Irish Derby. We decided to run here and then go for the Grand Prix de Paris after that. Alex Elliott [bloodstock agent] and I saw this horse (as a yearling) at Keeneland and Alex said 'if there's one horse I need you to buy, it is this guy'. He was so big, twice the size of other yearlings. Alex and I started this (Amo Racing) together a long time ago and it was significant that we won this race. This horse floats – he's obviously got size and he's proven he can go on any ground. His first race, his maiden, was on soft and his last two races have been on firm so he's so diverse. He's going to be a wonderful horse.”
