Jockey Frankie Dettori to ride in the Golden Eagle this Saturday.
October 25, 2022
Frankie Dettori, the world’s most famous jockey, is set to ride in Sydney for the first time in the $10 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Dettori’s visa application has been approved and it is understood the superstar rider is preparing to make the dash to Sydney later this week where he is expected to ride French import Welwal in the Golden Eagle.
It will be a coup for Sydney racing to have Dettori riding at Rosehill with his presence ensuring an international focus on the Golden Eagle, the nation’s second richest turf race.
Australian Turf Club’s James Ross confirmed earlier on Monday English-based Dettori was keen to ride at the Rosehill Gardens meeting.
“I understand his (visa) application has been lodged with the London consulate,” Ross said,
“We are hoping they can address that within the next 24-48 hours so he can make the trip to Sydney.
“Just having Frankie Detorri and (champion Irish jockey) Jamie Spencer here on a big day like Golden Eagle Day is tremendous for Sydney racing.”
Dettori, 51, has ridden more than 3000 winners worldwide during his outstanding career. He was a three-time British champion jockey and has ridden more than 500 stakes race winners.
He’s ridden 21 British classic winners including two English Derbies on Authorized (2007) and Golden Horn (2015), plus six Oaks and six St Legers. He has also ridden the winners of six Prix de l’Arc de Triomphes, four Dubai World Cups, three Japan Cups, and 14 US Breeders Cup races.
Dettori has ridden some of the greats of world racing including Dubai Millennium, Singspiel, Lammtarra, Ouija Board, Balanchine, Daylami, Fantastic Light, Golden Horn, Enable and Stradivarius.
Australian punters have a love-hate relationship with Dettori who has ridden in 17 Melbourne Cups since first making the trip down under to partner unplaced Drum Taps in 1993.
The champion jockey has managed to ride two second placings in the Melbourne Cup on Central Park in 1999 and Max Dynamite in 2015.
Dettori was also second over the line on Master Of Reality in 2019 but was relegated to fourth on protest.
His likely Golden Eagle ride, Welwal, has been heavily backed after impressing in two barrier trials since joining the Chris Waller stable.
Welwal, who won at Group 3 level in France earlier this year but hasn’t raced since finishing unplaced in the French Derby behind Vadeni in June, was at $101 a week ago but has been heavily backed and is now into $17.
Spencer is due to ride English raider and $4.50 race favourite Light Infantry in the Golden Eagle.
If Dettori does ride in the Golden Eagle, it is unclear if he will stay on and ride at Royal Randwick or Flemington on Cup Day before travelling to the United States where he is due to ride at the Breeders Cup meeting on November 5-6.