Frankie Dettori strikes gold in the King George at Royal Ascot with John Gosden’s Enable
John Gosden's filly stormed clear in the final furlongs as she put a number of high class rivals to the sword in the Group 1 contest after Dettori slimmed down for the ride
FRANKIE DETTORI should bring out a slimming plan.
Ascot’s pin-up jockey got down to his lightest weight of 8st 7lbs on a diet of fish, water and fresh air to ride dual Oaks heroine Enable in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
But boy was it worth the bother.
The 5-4 favourite - racing in the famous Frankel green, pink and white colours of Khalid Abdulla – destroyed a top-class field to take the £1.15million mid-summer thriller.
Dettori, 46, said: “I lost 7lbs in six days - but it was worth it. She is a superstar.
“It means a lot to me. I missed the whole of Royal Ascot through injury and to come back to the place I love so much is great.
“She’s as good as I've ridden. I haven’t had a feeling like that since Golden Horn in the Arc.
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“To win the King George by four lengths - she is the real deal and I love her so much. I'll have a big dinner tonight, that's for sure.”
Whether John Gosden will be picking up the restaurant tab was unclear. But his admiration for Dettori – and Enable - was obvious.
He said: “His hunger and passion for the game is undimmed – I find that quite remarkable.
“He’s had to fight hard to be back from a fractured shoulder - he rode her in Ireland when he wasn’t 100 per cent.
“He’s killed himself to do this weight – he’ll eat tonight.”
Gosden has trained some top fillies over the years. Taghrooda won the Oaks and King George three years ago before finishing third to Treve in the Arc.
The Fugue and Dar Re Mi were both multiple Group 1 winners.
Gosden believes Enable is the best of the lot.
He continued: “She’s a wonderful filly.
“The King George has always been about the meeting of the generations and she’s proved herself.
“She would have won on good ground – she can handle anything. She’s more adaptable than you and I, that’s for sure.
“Frankie rode her beautifully. She exploded in the straight.
“I love great fillies to train – they’re just a pleasure to be around.”
Enable lined-up as the red-hot 5-4 favourite after impressive winners in the Oaks and the Irish version.
Torrential rain had turned the ground against Europe’s current highest-earning horse Highland Reel but there was still the likes of mud-loving stablemate Jack Hobbs and Coral-Eclipse hero Ulysses to master.
But getting a stone in weight through the three-year-old and fillies’ allowance she was never in danger once Dettori kicked early in the straight.
Ulysses tried to chase her down but he didn’t give favourite backers much to worry about.
Enable had more than four lengths to spare at the line.
She is now likely to head to next month’s Yorkshire Oaks before a crack at the Arc De Triomphe at Chantilly in October. Sun Bets cut her to 2-1 favourite for the end-of-season French thriller.
Nyaleti was cut to 20-1 for next year’s 1,000 Guineas after bolting up by five lengths in the Princess Margaret Stakes.
Mark Johnston’s filly – runner-up in the Chesham and Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes on her previous two starts – was way too good for previously unbeaten Dance Diva under Ryan Moore.
Johnston said: “Anything of her type - a Group-winning two-year-old - you have to be thinking of the Guineas. We do dream she is in that class.”
The torrential rain was a godsend for 50-1 stunner Stamp Hill in the Gigaset International Stakes.
It was another top handicap for Yorkshire trainer Richard Fahey. He will unleash crack miler Ribchester in Goodwood’s Group 1 Sussex Stakes on Wednesday.