FRANKIE DETTORI has picked up the box office spare on star horse Mostahdaf after seeing off a star-studded list of rival jockeys.
The Mostahdaf ride came up for grabs after Jim Crowley was slapped with a 20-day ban for his winning King George ride aboard Hukum.
PAFrankie Dettori will partner Mostahdaf[/caption]
That left connections needing a star name to partner Mostahdaf, who was an impressive winner at Royal Ascot.
He was a big price for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes but decimated his rivals under an ice cool Crowley.
John and Thady Gosden had plenty of options, with the likes of James Doyle and Kieran Shoemark towards the top of the list.
Ultimately, the Gosden’s called upon their tried and trusted winning formula for the 7-2 second-favourite.
Dettori has a long and storied history with the Gosden’s and the Newmarket trainer might have handed Dettori another Group 1 on a silver platter – provided Paddington isn’t too strong.
Dettori told Racing Post: “I’ve been asked to ride him and it’s a great ride to pick up.
“I’ve seen him all the time at home, but he’s a retained horse and it’s unfortunate for Jim he can’t ride, but he’s a good horse coming off a great win. I’m looking forward to it.”
To win, the pair will need to see off the formidable Paddington, trained by Aidan O’Brien.
The three-year-old has gone from strength to strength and won his fourth Group 1 on the spin at Glorious Goodwood.
The Eclipse winner is 5-4 favourite with Coral, while others rivals for Mostahdaf could include last year’s Derby winner Desert Crown.
A 5-1 chance, he’s endured a nightmare career since that has failed to get going since that Classic success.
FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chases their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamcare – www.gamcare.org.ukGamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org