Frankie Dettori set for epic showdown with Ryan Moore at York after seeing off rivals to pick up Mostahdaf ride
FRANKIE DETTORI has picked up the box office spare on star horse Mostahdaf after seeing off a star-studded list of rival jockeys.
The Mostahdaf ride came up for grabs after Jim Crowley was slapped with a 20-day ban for his winning King George ride aboard Hukum.
That left connections needing a star name to partner Mostahdaf, who was an impressive winner at Royal Ascot.
He was a big price for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes but decimated his rivals under an ice cool Crowley.
John and Thady Gosden had plenty of options, with the likes of James Doyle and Kieran Shoemark towards the top of the list.
Ultimately, the Gosden’s called upon their tried and trusted winning formula for the 7-2 second-favourite.
Dettori has a long and storied history with the Gosden’s and the Newmarket trainer might have handed Dettori another Group 1 on a silver platter – provided Paddington isn’t too strong.
Dettori told : “I’ve been asked to ride him and it’s a great ride to pick up.
“I’ve seen him all the time at home, but he’s a retained horse and it’s unfortunate for Jim he can’t ride, but he’s a good horse coming off a great win. I’m looking forward to it.”
To win, the pair will need to see off the formidable Paddington, trained by Aidan O’Brien.
The three-year-old has gone from strength to strength and won his fourth Group 1 on the spin at Glorious Goodwood.
The Eclipse winner is 5-4 favourite with Coral, while others rivals for Mostahdaf could include last year’s Derby winner Desert Crown.
A 5-1 chance, he’s endured a nightmare career since that has failed to get going since that Classic success.
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