Frankie Dettori FINALLY breaks Royal Ascot duck with winner after admitting ‘I never thought it would come’
FRANKIE DETTORI finally broke his Royal Ascot duck by banging in a winner and admitted: "I thought it would never happen."
The legendary jockey, 52, who is retiring at the end of this year, had to push hard on even money favourite Gregory in the 5.25 Queen's Vase.
But he knuckled down hard to grind out victory and deliver his famous flying dismount in the winner's enclosure… maybe for the last time.
Dettori endured a torrid first day at the Royal meeting.
He finished second three times, was turned over by a 33-1 outsider and picked up a whopping nine-day ban.
That will block him from riding 9-4 Coral-Eclipse favourite Emily Upjohn.
But that famous smile returned on Wednesday when he won at the ninth time of trying.
This came 33 years after Dettori's first Ascot winner - and his 78th in all.
He said: "I thought this winner was never going to come this year!
"I had three seconds yesterday but I thought this horse was my best chance.
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"I was in front a long time, on the run-in I thought oh no, not second again, but the horse stuck his neck out.
"At my last Ascot, to ride a winner is fantastic.
"The reception I got was amazing, I couldn't be happier.
"I'm both sad and happy but I've got three more days and at least I've got on the board."
Trainer Gosden, who Dettori had a falling out with last year before they made up, said: "Frankie got him out, he set the fractions well - as he should be doing by now - and built him up the whole way up the hill.
"Then the horse kept finding up the straight.
"It looked a little bit sticky when we were challenged in the final furlong but he kept finding."
Dettori has seven rides on Thursday with 11-2 Epictetus looking his best chance of victory.
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