Former British-based trainer Michael Dickinson will accompany Jerry Bailey when the American jockey walks the course at Ascot next week, it emerged today.
Bailey and compatriot John Velazquez have been invited by Sheikh Mohammed to ride for Godolphin at the Royal meeting which gets under way on Tuesday.
Speaking from his Tapeta Farm Stables in Maryland, where he trains 40 horses, Dickinson said: "I get in on Monday morning and I will go straight to Ascot to walk the track with Jerry Bailey.
"Jerry hasn't ridden in Britain before and I believe he has 14 rides booked at Royal Ascot.
"Both John and Jerry ride for me in New York and they are world-class jockeys.
"John won the Breeders' Cup Mile on Da Hoss for me as well as a Grade One event at Saratoga. He is a very good jockey.
"The Americans will have to adjust to Ascot but it will be easier for them than it was for Chris McCarron at Epsom. Epsom is a very stiff track to ride whereas Ascot is a lovely track to ride.
"I'm sure they'll both perform with credit.
"European jockeys are very good but I suppose Godolphin's mainstream thinking is global."
Dickinson, who was champion jumps trainer in Britain on three occasions in the 1980s, will be on the look out for horses during his stay in Britain.
"Royal Ascot is the best four-day meeting in the world," he added. "I'm coming over looking for horses to train and to buy."
Dickinson sent out 51 winners last season and is well on course to beat that total this time.
He said: "We've had 20 so far this season so we are ahead of schedule. We have a 40 per cent strike rate and a 50 per cent strike rate in New York.
"Ahuevo and Union One are two good horses that I've got. Union One won his only race by 11 and we had a gamble on him - it was just like the old days.
"I train four horses for Nigel Shields including Melody Queen who has improved a lot. She has been placed in a Grade Two race in New York for us."
