‘I don’t think there’s any negative and he’s impressed me the most’ – Frankie Dettori’s Derby tip
IF you want to find the winner of the Derby then you could do a lot worse than ask two-time winner Frankie Dettori.
The world’s most famous jockey ended his agonising wait to win it in 2007 with Authorized.
And he crowned himself King of Epsom one more time in 2015 aboard the awesome Golden Horn.
No one knows the undulations of the Downs better than Frankie – or what it takes to win on it.
And one horse in particular this season has impressed him above all others.
Asked who he would back in the £1.5million contest, Dettori went against old employers Godolphin and John Gosden.
And instead plumped for a British trainer to keep his awesome big race-winning run going.
Ralph Beckett won the Arc de Triomphe last year with wondermare Bluestocking.
Dettori – who recently issued a big career update amid his bankruptcy storm – reckons he can scoop the British equivalent this year with Dante winner Pride Of Arras.
The iconic jockey told Stake: “Pride Of Arras won in the style of a Derby winner in the Dante.
“The only thing that might muddle him is the size of the field.
“It is close to a maximum field and he’s only run twice, so it won’t be easy.
“He’ll have to manage his way through the traffic. He does have a good cruising speed, though, and a good turn of foot.
“He’s the one which has impressed me the most in the Derby trials.
“It’s just the lack of experience which disadvantages him. It’s very hard to win this race on only your third start, so that’s the one thing which puts me off a bit.
“Ruling Court is a serious horse. What he showed in the Guineas was very impressive, but it’s that massive question mark, will he get a mile and a half?
“We know that a mile and quarter is within his reach because he hit the line very strongly at Newmarket, but this is another two furlongs.
“He’s an amazing, talented horse, but he’s got a massive question mark to me.
“Damysus looks a very solid horse, but to me Pride Of Arras was much better than him in the Dante and we expect him to improve a bit here, so the gap is looking a bit too far to bridge to me.
“Pride Of Arras would be the one I’d put my fiver on.
“It’s a very exciting race and it is wide open. We’ve already made a case for a good number of them, and it’s very interesting.”
Dettori also had strong word for Ryan Moore’s mount Delacroix.
However, his draw in 14 has sparked a market drift as money comes for 2,000 Guineas hero Ruling Court instead.
Betfred have the two joint-favourites, while Ladbrokes continue to cut Charlie Appleby’s Godolphin colt.
The firm’s Alex Apati said: “We could be on course for a significant shake-up in the Derby betting over the next few days.
“Despite Ryan Moore being on board the favourite, punters’ recent interest is seemingly elsewhere.
“We may well be looking at a new frontrunner in the field come Saturday afternoon.”
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