Dynamite Dettori Ends Godolphin Hoodoo

Frankie Dettori´s glittering run of form rubbed off on his principal employers as Godolphin ended their long wait for a British Group One winner in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

In a race that revolved around the pre-race and actual race performance of eventual fourth George Washington, it was one of the boys in blue´s hitherto unheralded stars, Ramonti, that finally added to Punctilious´ top-level success nearly two years ago.

Sheikh Mohammed´s operation could not have found a more favourable event than this with which to break the big-race domestic hoodoo, having captured six of the previous 11 runnings, and the ex-Italian Ramonti was a willing partner in crime.

Last year´s 2000 Guineas winner George Washington, brought back into training by Aidan O´Brien and Coolmore after failing to perform at stud, was the one to watch beforehand with a well-documented habit of misbehaving in the preliminaries.

But he was fine in the paddock and just a little overenthusiastic cantering down to the start and in the early stages of the straight mile contest.

Ramonti (5-1) was only beaten narrowly by Red Evie on his Godolphin debut in Newbury´s Lockinge Stakes and this time Dettori chose to dictate the pace over his seven rivals.

But he was headed with over two furlongs to run by Jeremy, who looked to have the race at his mercy racing down the far rail before beginning to hang.

Ramonti began to rally under vigorous encouragement and in a blanket finish he thwarted Jeremy by a short head, with French outsider Turtle Bowl the same distance back in third with a dashing late drive.

Dettori can never have ridden better in his 20-year career, having achieved his aching personal ambition of winning the Vodafone Derby and then adding the French equivalent earlier this month.

'I didn´t really know the horse at Newbury, but I spoke to my friend Enzo Botti, who used to ride him last year,' he said. 'He told me to be brave. It´s very hard to make the running here at Group One level, so it was a very gutsy performance.

'They all went by me, but I knew they would come back. He really dug deep and got his head down for me on the line.

'It´s been a while since we won a Group One in England. I´m so happy and thrilled for my boss (Sheikh Mohammed) that he is back to where he belongs.'

Dettori was, however, found guilty of using his whip with excessive force and frequency and not giving his mount time to respond.

The matter was referred to the Horseracing Regulatory Authority as the stewards felt the offence required a longer ban than the seven days that could have been imposed on the day.

Although Ramonti had won a Group One in Italy, Godolphin´s connections still seemed a little surprised.

'When we bought him we didn´t anticipate he´d be winning this ? we thought he would be a horse who we would campaign abroad,' said racing manager Simon Crisford.

'Frankie gave him a fantastic ride. When you perform at the level we do, it is always frustrating when you are not winning big races. We are lucky to have a very understanding patron.

'We have not thought about future plans. He might go for the Prix Jacques le Marois, but we also have a feeling he might even be better over a longer trip.'

On his comeback, George Washington´s sense of theatre had not deserted him and after being under the cosh and seemingly beaten, he came with an immense late drive.

'We were delighted with his run,' reported O´Brien.

'After going to stud and covering 60 mares you would be a bit fresh, wouldn´t you?

'We always thought he would get 10 furlongs and that could be an option, but we will get him home and see how he is first.'

Unfortunately his partner, Mick Kinane, was handed a one-day ban (June 30) for using his whip with excessive force.

Sir Michael Stoute was equally pleased with Jeremy´s effort, adding: 'That was the best run of his career and I thought when he took it up he might win, but he lugged right.'

Turtle Bowl was Francois Rohaut´s first Royal Ascot runner and the trainer reported the five-year-old also likely to contest the Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August.

The only disappointment was Lockinge winner Red Evie, who could not quicken to be seventh, while the time of one minute 37.21 seconds was a course record.

? PA Sport