Frankie Dettori, Ascot's leading rider with 52 winners, has already had a season to remember with the likes of G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) on his book of rides, but the champion rider admitted that clinching Royal Ascot's leading rider title is his primary goal of the season.
“Royal Ascot is the biggest week of my year,” Dettori said. “I travel all over the world, but Ascot is still at the top of the pile and the Royal meeting is the pinnacle. I'm not going all over the country again in a bid to be champion jockey, but when it comes to Royal Ascot week I am going all out to be top jockey.”
Dettori's rides next week will include the likes of Galileo Gold in Tuesday's G1 St James's Palace S., but the Italian pointed to his mount in the closing day's feature race, the G1 Diamond Jubilee S., as potentially his best bet of the week.
“My best chance of the week could be with Magical Memory (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) on Saturday,” he noted. “Charlie [Hills] loves this sprinter and I do too. Charlie has a great ability with his sprinters and I don't see a rival in the race that I'd rather be on.”
“I know that Wesley Ward's 2-year-olds are going to have to fire if I'm to stand a chance, but I went down to Manton last week and they look tremendous,” Dettori added. “I'd say their preparations couldn't have been better. It's up to me now to show them to best effect. Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) and Create A Dream (Oasis Dream {GB}) both look picture perfect. Those two fillies really excite me.”
Dettori's rides are also set to include G2 Coventry S. second-choice Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and G1 Coronation S. fancy Nemoralia (More Than Ready), and he could reunite with Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), on whom he won last year's G3 Tercentenary S. at this meeting, in the G1 Prince Of Wales's S.
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