Frankie Dettori feels he has a "great chance" of winning the Betfred Derby on his final ride in the Classic on Saturday week.
He'll be aboard Arrest, winner of the Chester Vase earlier this month, and partnered the son of Frankel in a piece of work over just short of a mile at The Derby Festival Gallops Morning at Epsom Downs on Monday.
Speaking after the workout Dettori said: “It’s all about getting used to the course and the most crucial part is Tattenham Corner, where horses can really win or lose a race. He went round there fine. In the straight, it took him a furlong to get organised but he’s a big horse. He then went very straight and I was very happy with him.
“He is growing up and getting stronger. The ground is an issue but Andrew (Cooper, Clerk of the Course at Epsom Downs) always does a great job and I haven’t ridden in a very fast Derby for a long time – it has always been good or good to soft and, fingers crossed, the rain will continue. Every week, horses improve and we still have two weeks to go. I would expect this horse after the gallop today to go on a bit and it’s very hard to assess one year to the next. But I am very pleased with him - he looks great and has done well in the gallop this morning.
“We always thought a bit of him last year but he was all frame and no muscle. He did well over the winter and Chester was great. In the other trials Passenger (third in the Dante Stakes) impressed me most – he’s not in the Derby at the moment but I expect he will be (supplemented).”
Dettori has ridden in the Betfred Derby 27 times, winning twice aboard Authorized (2007) and Golden Horn (2015).
He continued: "I have been fortunate enough to win The Derby twice and it is still the most famous race in the world for us. When I started my career as a jockey, first of all you want to get a ride in it and then try to win it. I’ve had over 20 rides in it and this is my last go. At least I am going into my last Derby with a great chance.
“This year is a lot of lasts. I went to Rome yesterday and it was my last Derby there. I saw the vice Prime Minister and he gave me a plaque congratulating me on my career. Now it’s my last Derby here and I have a live chance, which is good.
“It looks a wide-open Derby and I haven’t seen any horse really dominating any of the trials – they all won, but nobody won by a really wide margin so it looks a competitive and open Derby."
On his likely Betfred Oaks ride Soul Sister, the impressive winner of the Group Three Musidora Stakes at York last week, Frankie Dettori added: “John (Gosden) kept believing in her and at the time (when last in the Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury last month), his horses were not running that well. Then at York she took me by surprise as she quickened twice, travelled and clocked a very good time. I was impressed,
“She has to go an extra two furlongs in the Oaks but the signs are good. Obviously the O’Brien filly (Savethelastdance) won by 22 lengths at Chester and is going to be hard to beat but we’ll give it a go.”
Frankie Dettori’s 27 Derby rides
1992-16 Pollen Count
1993-8 Wolf Prince
1994-10 Linney Head
1995-2 Tamure
1996-3 Shantou
1997-9 Bold Demand
1998-9 Cape Verdi
1999-9 Dubai Millennium
2001-3 Tobougg
2002-7 Naheef
2003-8 Graikos
2004-7 Snow Ridge
2005-3 Dubawi
2006-9 Linda’s Lad
2007-1 AUTHORIZED
2008-7 Rio De La Plata
2009-9 Kite Wood
2010-3 Rewilding
2011-11 Ocean War
2015-1 GOLDEN HORN
2016-4 Wings Of Desire
2017-3 Cracksman
2018-5 Hazapour
2019-6 Circus Maximus
2020-5 English King
2021-9 John Leeper
2022-12 Piz Badile
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