Frankie Dettori simply brilliant as he records Champions Day double on Cracksman and Persuasive at Ascot racecourse
IT took the people’s champion to save Champions’ Day.
Boggy ground had threatened to turn Ascot’s glittering end-of-season bonanza into muddy mess.
But where there’s Ascot there’s always Frankie Dettori.
The most charismatic of jockeys showed his undoubted class with a Group 1 double a scarcely-believable 21 years since his magnificent seven wrote his name into racing folklore.
First he swooped past Ribchester and Churchill on Persuasive to win his sixth QEII Stakes.
Then 40 minutes later he bagged his first Champion Stakes win with a stunning seven-length romp on 13-8 favourite Cracksman.
It was the result the brains behind Qipco Champions’ Day had been dreaming of.
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Dettori beamed: “It’s amazing - I didn’t sleep very well.
“I felt Cracksman was in tip-top shape. When the rain came I was delighted and the headwind helped as well as it makes it even harder to get to the end.
“The horse still had to deliver and he did. The pace was honest, he was able to follow and I played my ace card. It was a fantastic performance. I’m made up – I’ve got no words to describe it.
“I didn’t expect Persuasive to win. The QEII is a special race for me. If you go back to 1990 it was my first Group 1 on Markofdistinction.
“When Ribchester came across he opened the gap and my filly was sensational.”
It was another superb day for Dettori and his main ally trainer John Gosden.
The pair had teamed up to dominate the season’s biggest prizes will ace filly Enable.
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With her and Cracksman racing on next year it promises to be another golden summer for the dynamic duo.
But they didn’t have everything their own way. Aidan O’Brien has had his hands on more shiny pots than a hotel dishwasher this season.
In the great game of Ballydoyle bingo it was Hydrangea’s number that came up to give O’Brien his inevitable record-equalling 25th Group 1 win of the year.
Order Of St George had struck in the opening Long Distance Cup but, as that was only a Group 2, the wait went on for another hour or so.
Considering Hydrangea – a 4-1 shot – had yet to win beyond a mile it was an impressive effort to outbattle 7-4 favourite Bateel in the closing stages of the fillies & mares prize for a two-length success.
O’Brien said: “I can’t say how delighted we are.
“I’m delighted for everyone. It’s a big chain of people all the way from the top all the way down and we’re a small link.
“It’s so difficult – every race. There’s so many things that can wrong.”
Librisa Breeze – the horse who saved Robert Winston’s career – had his big day in the Qipco British Champions Sprint.
Winston, 39, decided to pack up last season and it was only Dean Ivory’s flying grey that kept him in the saddle.
Yesterday his faith was repaid when the pair came with a late run to mow down ace speedsters Tasleet, Caravaggio and Harry Angel.
Winston said: “I was packing in last year. I gave my notice to Dean and it was going to be my last year riding. This horse came along and things have sort of blossomed. It’s kept the dream alive, kept me in game.”
The 10-1 victory capped a memorable week for owner Tony Bloom – chairman of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club.
His Withhold landed a monster gamble in last week’s Cesarewitch and his team thrashed West Ham on Friday night.
Bloom said: “It’s been a brilliant week. The Albion had an incredible victory and I’ve registered my first Group 1 win. I'm over the moon.”
It was a disappointing end to an otherwise fantastic season for Sprint Cup hero Harry Angel.
The 5-4 favourite backed out of it to finish fourth after looking likely to collect two furlongs from home.
Trainer Clive Cox said: “He showed his usual class. The ground was even more testing than at Haydock - he just came to the end of his run. We’ve not lost confidence in what he’s able to do. He’ll be back.”