Thirty years ago next month a 16-year-old apprentice called Frankie Dettori rode his first winner at this breathtaking downland track and, if Ascot is the racecourse most readily associated with his long career, Goodwood cannot be far behind. Dettori has long since mastered its contours and quirks and he was impeccable again aboard Khalidi on Friday as the colt took the Cocked Hat Stakes in course-record time.
Monarchs Glen, a stable companion of Khalidi at the John Gosden yard, flew out of the stalls and raced freely through the first mile, extending his lead to about 10 lengths at one stage. He started to come back to the field with a quarter of a mile to run, however, and Khalidi was soon in command, going on to cross the line five lengths in front of Fierce Impact.
The last two winners of this race have gone on to run in the Derby, including Storm The Stars, who made the frame at Epsom two years ago. Khalidi is not up to that standard and is likely to run next in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot but Dettori was satisfied with the compliment that the win paid to Permian, the Dante Stakes winner, and by extension Cracksman, Dettori’s mount in the Classic next weekend.
“We don’t have many races here over a mile and three [furlongs],” Dettori said. “There’s only two a year, so on fast ground with the wind behind and a decent pace, I’m not surprised [about the record time].
“But it’s good, it all ties up with the Dante winner [who beat Khalidi at Newmarket earlier in the season] and the form looks solid. You can make a case for about 10 [in the Derby]. It’s whatever stays and whatever gets the best run because on ratings they’re much of a muchness.
“[Monarchs Glen] has got a lot of talent and no one was going to take me there so I had to make the move. At the furlong pole I knew he was done but he’s the sort of horse that, if you give him too much rope, he could go.”
Cracksman, who missed his intended prep run for Epsom in the Dante Stakes due to soft ground, remains joint-favourite for the Derby at a best price of 9-2, alongside Aidan O’Brien’s Cliffs Of Moher, the Dee Stakes winner.
William Buick will be in the weighing room alongside Dettori at Epsom next week after he persuaded the British Horseracing Authority’s disciplinary committee to reduce a recent ban for careless riding, imposed by the stewards at York, from five days to four.
The difference is crucial because Buick can apply to have a four-day ban deferred on days when there is Group One racing in Britain, freeing him to ride in both the Oaks and Coronation Cup next Friday and the Derby the following afternoon.
He is expected to ride Jack Hobbs, the 2015 Irish Derby winner, in the Coronation Cup while Godolphin, his main employer, could have as many as five runners in the Derby and Buick is almost certain to pick up a useful ride.
Aidan O’Brien took both the 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket with Winter and Churchill and they are odds-on to follow up in the Irish equivalents this weekend, but his team for the high-summer showpieces suffered a significant setback on Friday when Minding, the winner of seven Group One events in all, was ruled out by injury until at least the autumn.
Minding had been expected to start at long odds-on for the Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh on Sunday.
In her absence Ryan Moore will switch to ride Deauville, a recent winner at Chester’s May meeting, while O’Brien is also represented by Johannes Vermeer and Somehow in a final field of eight runners.
Chris Cook’s Saturday’s tips
Cartmel 2.15 Minotaur 2.45 Restraint Of Trade 3.20 Go West Young Man 3.55 Space Ship 4.30 Dursey Sound 5.05 Cousin Oscar 5.35 Jester Jet (nb)
Chester 1.55 Musical Terms 2.30 Rose Berry 3.05 Fastnet Tempest 3.40 Sands Chorus 4.15 Yafta 4.50 Emperor Napoleon 5.20 Okool
Ffos Las 6.00 Captain George 6.30 Looks Like Power 7.00 Market Road 7.30 Fortified Bay 8.00 Heist 8.30 Theatre Stage 9.00 Mac T
Goodwood 2.00 Abdon 2.35 Billesdon Brook 3.10 Horroob 3.45 Second Step 4.20 Batts Rock 4.55 Pettochside 5.25 Music Lesson
Haydock 2.20 Parliamentarian 2.55 Rusumaat 3.30 Harry Angel 4.05 Kachy 4.35 Gravity Flow 5.10 Janszoon 5.40 Tai Sing Ye
Salisbury 5.45 Bodybuilder 6.15 Indian Affair 6.45 Gloriux 7.15 Going Up 7.45 Magic Beans 8.15 Gunmaker
York 2.10 Golden Stunner 2.40 Dal Harraild 3.15 Sean O’Casey (nap) 3.50 Out Do 4.25 Zaman 5.00 Miss Sheridan 5.30 Madroos
