Frankie eyeing up more big race success on the Knavesmire
Published:
It’s destination York this week with the Dante Festival taking centre stage and our man Frankie Dettori primed to seal the limelight.
The Ladbrokes racing ambassador is booked for some fantastic rides over the course of the meeting with leading fancies Magical Memory and So Mi Dar his plum bookings in the Duke of York Clipper Logistics Stakes and the Musidora Stakes on the opening day.
Both come into their respective contests on the back of impressive victories and are highly fancied to follow-up this week.
And in terms of their upcoming assignments, these are races that Frankie already has fond memories of.
The World’s Best Jockey is a two-time Duke of York winner (2000 and 2011) and has taken the Musidora on three separate occasions (1998, 2004 and 2015).
That most recent victory was the third in five years for trainer John Gosden and the pair team-up again with So Mi Dar.
She beat the colts in an Epsom Derby trial last time out and with the second and third that day – Humphrey Bogart and Viren’s Army – both scoring since, there’s plenty to back up her leading claims.
The Oaks remains her ultimate aim, a race dominated by Aidan O’Brien’s Minding. The 1000 Guineas heroine dominates the Classic betting heat but should So Mi Dar put on another show today the clamour surrounding her own Epsom claims will only intensify.
And as we saw in the 2000 Guineas, Frankie is more than ready to serve it up to Ballydoye’s finest.
Re-opposing rival poses greatest threat to Magical Memory
Established Group 1 sprinter Twilight Son has got the better of Magical Memory three times before but there’s plenty to suggest that form can be reversed on the Knavesmire.
Henry Candy’s charge makes his seasonal reappearance conceding 5lb to Frankie’s favourite, the recent winner of the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket’s Craven meeting.
The Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot is Magical Memory’s longer-term target. Beating his re-opposing rival and a host of other sprint stars would lay down an impressive marker ahead of the June showpiece.
Meanwhile, other high-profile Frankie rides this week include the John Gosden-trained pair of Journey in the Middleton Stakes and the progressive Wings of Desire in the meetings feature race, the Dante, on Thursday.
Check out our incredible Money Back offer on Channel 4 Racing. Money Back 2nd and 3rd to the SP favourite in any Channel 4 races with 8+ runners. Money Back 2nd if 5-7 runners!
Click here for full Terms and Conditions.
And click here for the latest Frankie Dettori and York racing odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing