Dettori full of praise for Shalaa Frankie Dettori's golden summer continued apace as Shalaa provided him with another Group One win in the Darley Prix Morny at Deauville yesterday. John Gosden's colt had already impressed in the July Stakes at Newmarket and the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood but this was his first run at the highest level. He oozed class throughout, though, with Dettori happy to set his own tempo before he was joined at halfway by Richard Hannon's Gutaifan, with both colts owned by Al Shaqab Racing. With just over a furlong to run Dettori asked his mount to quicken and despite Gosden's reservations about running him on rain-softened ground, Shalaa quickened clear to win in style. Gay Kelleway's Zebstar was fourth of the five runners. Dettori said after the race "He is the best two-year-old I've sat on in my life. I am not exaggerating. He has a lot of speed. In the race he was very relaxed, although he is best left alone like a sprinter." Gosden: "I thought he wasn't going to love this ground, but he tolerated it. "He's a horse who has a great mind. It is a pleasure to train him. All credit to the owner for having the courage to run. We'll look to the Middle Park now." British trainers were denied a clean sweep of the major races when Mark Johnston's Oriental Fox was worn down close home by Alex My Boy. Annoyingly for Johnston, he used to train the winner for owner Jaber Abdullah before he was moved to Germany to be handled by Andreas Wohler. The eventual winner was a long way adrift turning into the straight but found another gear close home to prevail by two and a half lengths.
