Frankie Dettori, the leading active jockey at Royal Ascot with 56 lifetime wins, will sit out all five days of the meeting this week due to the arm injury he suffered at Yarmouth last week. The news was originally reported by Racing Post. Dettori rode Shutter Speed (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane, after which he was suffering from arm pain.
“I've been trying so hard to get fit for today but had to accept this morning it wasn't going to happen,” Dettori said. “I've got to have physio and get it properly looked after so won't be at Ascot this week. For me that's soul destroying as it's the most important week of the year. I'll be counting the days until next year.”
Dettori missed the winning ride aboard Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) in Tuesday's G1 King's Stand S., for which he was substituted by John Velazquez. Velazquez also replaced Dettori on American Patriot (War Front) (11th in the G1 Queen Anne S.), Denaar (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) (11th in the G2 Coventry S.) and Nootka Sound (Lonhro {Aus}) (17th in the Listed Windsor Castle S.).
Dettori was set to partner the majority of trainer Wesley Ward's American raiders, and Ward said he hoped to free up John Velazquez to partner McErin (Trappe Shot) in Thursday's G2 Norfolk S., and had not yet firmed up riding plans for his Friday runners, G1 Commonwealth Cup entrant Bound For Nowhere (The Factor) and G3 Albany S. contenders Fairyland (Scat Daddy) and Princess Peggy (Scat Daddy).
Dettori's other intended mounts for the week, and their replacement riders, included Magical Memory (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) (G1 Diamond Jubilee S., James Doyle); Ulysses (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) (G1 Prince of Wales's S., Jim Crowley); and Big Orange (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), G1 Gold Cup, James Doyle).
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