Frankie Dettori and Redford step up for Challenge Cup
Redford, who routed the field in the Ayr Gold Cup a week ago, did exactly the same in the totesport.com Challenge Cup.
Frankie Dettori had been booked for the ride again by trainer David Nicholls and there was never a doubt from a furlong out. The seven-furlong cavalry charge split into two groups and the far side was in charge before halfway. Just as at Ayr, Redford was nearly last then but Dettori rode with the utmost confidence as he weaved a path between horses to burst between Side Glance and Imperial Guest to lead in the final furlong.
The 6lb penalty that Redford had picked up for winning last weekend had no effect as he beat Side Glance by one-and-three-quarter lengths with Imperial Guest third and Golden Desert fourth.
“It’s great when it comes off,” Dettori said. “Again I followed the right horses, all the splits came at the right time. I managed to get behind Seb Sanders [who was riding Imperial Guest] and he opened the race up for me and, when I pressed the button he went.”
On a day when it appeared that Dettori could have walked on water - he made it four for the day when he won the Listed Miles & Morrison October Stakes on Rainfall – he proved that he is human after all. Even he could not get Aaim To Prosper closer than third to Ermyn Lodge in the concluding Tabac Gordon Carter Handicap and can pick the wrong one once in a while.
Philip Robinson and Michael Jarvis may also be wondering just which of them broke a mirror this week. For the second time in 24 hours the pair looked to have a race won, only to be beaten by the narrowest of margins.
On Friday it was Ferdoos, beaten a nose in the Harvest Stakes and this time it was Sajjhaa in the Listed Deloitte Rosemary Handicap who was beaten just a nose by the Godolphin second-string filly Aspectoflove. Sajjhaa, who had been a blow out in the Oaks, but had come back to win a Listed race at Bath and looked to be the one to beat when she took up the running with a furlong out. But Ted Durcan, who was riding Aspectoflove because Frankie Dettori had elected to ride Long Lashes, produced his filly to nail Sajjhaa in the last couple of strides, with I'm A Dreamer in third.
Given that this was Aspectoflove’s fifth win in 17 starts it was hardly surprising that Dettori had given her up but three of those four previous wins have come between the months of September to November.
That is something for Dettori to remember for next year.
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