John Gosden would love to provide Frankie Dettori with another memorable leg of his farewell “world tour” when saddling Gregory in the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster next week.

Gosden and Dettori have teamed up to win the final Classic of the season twice before, with Shantou in 1996 and Logician in 2019.

The Italian will be seeking a seventh St Leger success overall when partnering Gregory on Town Moor, with Classic Cliche (1995), Scorpion (2005), Sixties Icon (2006) and Conduit (2008) his other triumphs.

Dettori’s final year as a professional jockey has already featured a number of notable victories and Gosden joked: “I think the great world tour is going exceptionally well.

“He rolls into Deauville for one ride and wins the Prix Jacques Le Marois. He wins the Juddmonte International at York, Ascot Gold Cup, 2000 Guineas and he won the Dubai Turf earlier this year as well.

“So, I think the world tour is going extremely well and I’m sure he’d love to cap it off at Doncaster in the final Classic.”

Gosden can boast five St Leger wins himself and will now be chasing a first success since taking out a joint-license with son Thady.

Gregory is regarded by sponsors Betfred as the pick of their four potential runners and he currently heads the outright betting at 3-1.

The son of Golden Horn was a Group Two scorer at Royal Ascot over the Leger distance of one mile and six furlongs in the Queen’s Vase.

He then paid the price for setting too strong a pace when third in the Great Voltigeur at York, but Gosden senior is hopeful of turning the tables on the winner Continuous.

“Gregory went a little quick early in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York,” said the trainer. “When I saw the early fractions, I thought ‘We’ve just gone inside 12 seconds for a furlong’.

“I think there were three of them trying to make the lead in order to boss the race and they all got into a scramble early on. You’re not going to do those fractions over the first three furlongs and finish a race.

“It was obvious where the winner came from, he was 20 lengths out the back. He actually ran a very good race and when Frankie put his hands down, he galloped out well to the line and after the line.

“He came out of the race at York in very good order. If the weather is set fair at Doncaster, that won’t bother him with it being top of the ground.”

Stablemate Arrest warmed up for another possible crack at Classic glory with a comfortable victory in the Group Three Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury.

After running away with the Chester Vase in May, he disappointed in the Derby and at Royal Ascot but now looks back on track, although Gosden would like to see some rain hit South Yorkshire.

He said: “We’re very pleased with Arrest, he took his race very well at Newbury. He’s in top order but I think if it’s good to firm at Doncaster I think you’ll find him heading to Paris for the Prix Chaudenay rather than Doncaster.

“He’s a lovely horse but he rolls his knee and he’ll enjoy more what I call the autumn ground.”

Middle Earth is expected to be supplemented for the St Leger after coming with a late charge to land the Melrose Handicap at York under Oisin Murphy.

“I think Oisin was very impressed with him, he hit the line strong,” added Gosden. “He came from a long way back and finished off his race well.

“He’s been a horse we’ve always liked but we’ve had a few niggles along the way and haven’t quite been able to have a smooth run with him.

“Qatar Racing have won the race before and I think they are game to go. It’s the last Classic of the year and it’s for three-year-olds over a trip.”

Lion’s Pride could be another son of Roaring Lion to represent the Clarehaven team at Doncaster, having beaten Middle Earth at Kempton in July before finishing third at Windsor last month.

Reflecting on that defeat, Gosden said: “It was a trappy race on a difficult track. They went slow and he pulled, then he came on the outside. It was against older horses and he’s learnt a lot from that.

“I think there’s a likelihood he will run in the race as well, after all there’s only one St Leger.”

Mostahdaf provided Frankie Dettori with a fifth domestic Group One of the season and in the process helped him become the most successful jockey in the history of the Juddmonte International at York.

In drawing away from Lester Piggott with a sixth win in York’s best race, Dettori created yet another record in a career that is set to end later this year.

But when you see him at his best, as he was once again from the front on John and Thady Gosden’s five-year-old, you have to wonder why he is retiring at all.

Yes, he has achieved almost everything in the game, but on the big occasion and when it matters the most, there really have been very few better.

Up against the potential Horse of the Year in Aidan O’Brien’s Paddington, who had beaten Dettori and Emily Upjohn in the Eclipse, he was determined his younger rival was not going to have things all his own way.

In a complete change of tactics from Ascot, when Mostahdaf had been so impressive in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Dettori bounded out of the stalls into an early advantage and it was one he would not relinquish with the Italian hailing him as the best 10-furlong horse around.

With his Ascot partner Jim Crowley suspended for his winning ride in the King George, Dettori for once was in the role as super-sub.

He still held a two-length lead two furlongs out but it was then a matter of what was left in the tank, however, by then Paddington was also beginning to paddle and it was the winner’s stablemate Nashwa closing in.

There might not have been much in the locker at the finish, but as he so often has in his storied career, Dettori had ridden the perfect race.

“He’s run over a mile and a half, so he stays a mile and a quarter really well. The key was to get the fractions right, not too slow and not too fast and thankfully after 36 years I got it right,” said Dettori.

“I knew I had got it right because when I looked round I still had two lengths rope, I expected them to be on my quarters and when they weren’t I knew it would take a good horse to catch me now.

“This is my last Ebor meeting, my wife has come along and to be the first jockey to get six Juddmonte Internationals, beating Lester, I couldn’t ask for more.

“This was a real team effort. I have to thank Angus Gold and Richard Hills (Shadwell’s racing managers), Sheikha Hissa for giving me the ride and John and Thady – and especially Jim, it’s his ride. We all came up with a plan to beat this great horse Paddington. We wanted to bully the race from the beginning. It takes a good horse to do that and he was.”

Connections of Mostahdaf had admitted in the build up to the race that his achievements had somewhat gone under the radar, his Ascot performance looked too good to be true and yet he backed it up again.

“What he did at Ascot, people thought it was put on a plate for him but today he did it on his own,” said Dettori, who, when asked about his impending retirement replied: “I’ve got seven weeks and three days left – not that I’m counting!

“We were having to give 7lb to the favourite, but for a reason – we are an older horse and stronger, but that is valuable weight and quite an advantage. Because of that I didn’t want to have to chase him, when you are giving a horse weight you want them chasing you, not be chasing them.

“There’s a limit you can go, you don’t want to go too fast but at the same time you can’t go too slow.

“He’s a super horse, he showed that at Ascot. Because we know he stays a bit further, we wanted it to be a test and I could be aggressive.”

Dettori has ridden greats like Halling, Swain, Sakhee and Authorized to success in this great race and he feels Mostahdaf sits comfortably in their company.

“Undoubtedly he is the best mile-and-a-quarter horse around after this performance. I suspect John will find some good races for him at the end of the season but unfortunately for me, I’m not likely to be on him, but I’ll just take it as it comes,” he said.

“Equinox beat this horse a good few lengths over a mile and a half, which isn’t his best distance while it might be for Equinox. This lad is right at home over a mile and a quarter.

“To be the first jockey to win this six times means a lot.”

Arrest – sent off favourite for the Derby – saw his odds cut for the St Leger after getting back to winning ways under a masterful ride from Frankie Dettori in the BetVictor Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury.

Given it was Dettori’s final ride in the Epsom Classic it was perhaps no surprise he was the market leader on that day in June, but he failed to handle the undulating track on ground quicker than ideal.

He had also been well beaten on his most recent outing behind King Of Steel at Royal Ascot, again with conditions against him.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the Frankel colt looked much more at home back on softer ground, on which he had looked so impressive at Chester earlier in the season.

On his only ride of the day, Dettori used all his experience to keep away from the rail going down the back straight and for the first three furlongs he was allowed to do his own thing before Neil Callan moved Jack Darcy over to join him.

As the entered the home straight Dettori wound up the pace and the 5-6 favourite soon had everything else of the bridle and when Jack Darcy wilted, the race was won. Ching Shih made late gains into second, but she was still beaten by a length and a half.

The winner was cut to 6-1 from 12s by Coral for the Betfred-sponsored Leger at Doncaster next month, although the Gosdens and Dettori also have the favourite for the world’s oldest Classic in the shape of Queen’s Vase winner Gregory.

Dettori said: “Everyone expected the ground to be a bog, but it’s good to soft. He was the Derby favourite so he had to do that.

“He’s one card for the St Leger, but let’s see how Gregory gets on next Wednesday (Great Voltigeur Stakes).

“He’s one of a bunch of top horses John is sending to York, it’s a very strong team and I can’t wait.

“Soft ground is not an issue with him, if it’s soft at Doncaster it would be fine.”

Arrest could set up another Classic tilt when he returns from a short break in the BetVictor Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

John and Thady Gosden’s charge was sent off the 4-1 favourite to give Frankie Dettori a fairytale swansong in the Derby in June on the back of an impressive display in the Chester Vase the previous month.

However, things did not go to plan for the colt at Epsom, with the son of Frankel struggling to handle the famous undulations and he also underwhelmed when seeking compensation in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He now steps up in trip with connections keen to gauge whether he could become a Betfred St Leger contender later in the season, and while his training team will be keeping one eye on conditions to make sure the ground is suitable, heavy rain before racing on Friday will have been welcome.

“It will all depend on what the ground is like. I’m sure John and Thady will have a walk of the track,” explained Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

He went on: “He’s a horse that stays well and we’re going to try to see if he’s a St Leger horse or a mile-and-a-half horse.

“His pedigree wouldn’t scream a mile and six furlongs to you, but just with his running style and John also feels he has a fair chance of getting the trip, so we will give him a chance and see.”

William Haggas’ Klondike was the winner of a soft ground maiden on debut at the course in April before going on to perform with credit in decent company in two starts since.

He came within three lengths of toppling the Gosdens’ Royal Ascot scorer Gregory in the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood, before being slightly outpaced in a slowly-run edition of the Bahrain Trophy most recently.

“He’s a progressive horse and he was held up in a slowly-run race last time which didn’t suit him,” said the Somerville Lodge handler.

“He will be better on this track and will hopefully run a nice race.

“He won’t mind any rain. He doesn’t have to have soft ground, but he won’t mind it if it comes.

“I think he will be better as he gets older and I don’t want to over do him this year, I think a couple of more races will be fine for him.”

Kemari got the better of a prolonged tussle with Outbox to claim the Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket and looks the pick of the older horses on show.

That was the first time the five-year-old had found the scoresheet since landing the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot in 2021 and Charlie Appleby is hoping he can build on that welcome return to his best.

“Kemari goes to Newbury fit and well, having had a little break since the Fred Archer,” the Moulton Paddocks handler told www.godolphin.com.

“I think conditions will suit, as he has a bit of form on softer ground, and a repeat of his Newmarket performance should make him a serious contender.”

Frankie Dettori is ready for the unpredictable nature of the Racing League as he prepares to become the competition’s first ever player-manager.

The Italian represented the victorious Wales and The West side last season, riding winners to the delight of the crowd at both Lingfield and Newcastle, but is set for a new role in 2023 as he makes the switch to The East squad ahead of the multi-team event returning at Yarmouth on Thursday.

Not only will Dettori be sporting the yellow silks of The East as one of its team of jockeys, the 52-year-old has also taken on the challenge of managing the region as he bids to get his hands on the Racing League trophy for the second year in a row.

“Obviously being manager is a big responsibility,” said Dettori.

“For sure I will be at the first and last one and even though I’m probably not going to ride at all of them, I still have the responsibility of being a manager and doing the best for my team.

“I managed to win it last year and I’m really excited to go out there and sort of defend my title.

“I enjoyed it last year, there was a good vibe. My team didn’t have the best of starts, but as the competition went on, the momentum was on our side and Saffie (Osborne) rode a treble on the last day which sealed it for us.”

Dettori will be looking to immediately make his mark on The East’s home soil when the competition visits Yarmouth for the first time and he believes both the competitive nature and unknown quantities of the six-week event is what makes it so exciting for both the participants and those watching on.

He added: “All of my team members are going to be trying to win, it’s great to be representing the East side of the country coming from Newmarket and the best thing about Racing League is it is very unpredictable.

“I can’t really remember, but I think three teams came into the last week close on points and it was good and I enjoyed it.

“You don’t know what horses you are going to land with and what you might end up riding. Last year a lot of the races were tightly bunched, most of the races had close finishes and were very competitive. It will give everyone a chance and I think people really liked it last year.

“It’s year three now and people can tune in on a Thursday night with something they can follow.”

Frankie Dettori has high hopes of making a successful return from suspension aboard Lezoo in the bet365 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.

The 52-year-old incurred a nine-day ban for careless riding aboard Saga in the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, with a subsequent appeal proving unsuccessful, as well as an eight-day suspension for a whip offence aboard Queen Anne second Inspiral.

As a result Dettori missed the ride on Coral-Eclipse runner-up Emily Upjohn and was denied the opportunity to partner the third-placed Kinross in last weekend’s July Cup, the only British Group One to elude him during a glittering riding career that is due to come to an end later this year.

Dettori, though, is keen to move on as he readies himself for what he hopes will be a busy second half of the season.

“I’m back and there is so much to look forward to,” he said.

“There’s the King George, Goodwood, Deauville and York. It’s going to be a packed summer and I’m looking forward to it.”

Like Kinross, Lezoo is trained by Ralph Beckett and carries the colours of Dettori’s long-time friend and supporter Marc Chan.

The magical Italian steered her to two of her four juvenile wins last year before William Buick took over for her Group One win in the Cheveley Park Stakes.

She has failed to trouble the judge in either the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket or the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot so far this term, but Dettori is confident about her chances in Saturday’s Group Three.

He added: “Lezoo was a Group One winner last year and she’s owned by Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen, who are two good friends of mine. It is always extra nice when you ride for your friends.

“I think we can put a line through Ascot, she just didn’t turn up. She’s a Group One winner and a good filly, so let’s hope we can get her going back to winning ways.”

The Michael Dods-trained Commanche Falls returns to Pattern level after a confidence-boosting Listed success at the Curragh three weeks ago.

The six-year-old finished third behind stablemate Azure Blue and Highfield Princess in the Duke of York Stakes on his penultimate start and was beaten just a head by Garrus in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket earlier in the year.

“It’s obviously a tougher race than the one in Ireland, but it’s the only race there is for him really, so we’ll have to see how he gets on,” said Dods.

“He ran well at York before he won in Ireland, so hopefully he’s going there in good form.”

The Charlie Hills-trained Garrus is in opposition once more, while Adam Kirby is looking forward to riding Rohaan for trainer David Evans.

He said: “Rohaan’s last run at Ascot was much more pleasing. He is moving well and hopefully he can show his hand on Saturday.

“He finished off well, but it was a very slowly-run race. We were just pleased he came home and was only beaten a couple of lengths.

“Any rain will do him no harm, but some of his best form is in top-flight races on good to firm, so we’ll see.”

Other contenders include Mick Appleby’s King’s Stand third Annaf, who has since finished fourth in the Coral Charge at Sandown, and the Karl Burke-trained Cold Case, who bids to bounce back from a disappointing showing behind Little Big Bear in the Sandy Lane at Haydock.

A collection of Frankie Dettori’s awards and riding gear has sold at auction for tens of thousands of pounds after the weighing room great had a clear-out.

The 52-year-old jockey, who plans to retire at the end of the year, put 126 items up for sale as he plans to “scale down” the family home in Newmarket, Suffolk.

Among them was Dettori’s trophy from his Oaks win aboard Soul Sister last month, which sold for £5,000 to a UK buyer at an online auction run by Cheffins in Cambridge, which concluded this week.

That could be his last win in a British Classic should he not win the St Leger at Doncaster in September.

Also sold were a pair of signed racing boots from a race in Saudi Arabia for £2,800, a signed racing saddle used by Dettori at Epsom for £1,400 and a set of the royal blue Godolphin silks which went for £4,600 to a buyer from Japan.

Dettori’s weighing scales, which were given to him by Steve Cauthen and which Dettori claims he has been “jumping on and off for over 30 years”, were sold for £550.

Speaking before the sale, Dettori said: “We’re scaling down and I’ve got so much stuff, we thought we might as well just auction it.

“I didn’t realise because they end up in drawers, in cupboards, in the cellar, I mean they’re all over the place.

“Now we’re clearing up a lot of stuff, we didn’t realise how much accumulated in so many years.”

He continued: “All my kids have branched out so it’s only myself and Catherine my wife left so we’re planning to rent the house, scale down and move towards London a bit.

“And I’d like to travel the world a bit.”

He said some of the proceeds of the auction will go to the charity Direct Aid For Africa (Dafa), and some will go to his five children, adding: “My daughter’s getting married next year but she hasn’t fixed a date yet.”

Harriet Lusty, deputy saleroom manager at Cheffins, said: “This auction brought buyers from the world over to Cheffins, with bidders online from Australia, Hong Kong, USA, Japan, the UK and throughout Europe.

“This really was a one-off opportunity for many of Frankie’s army of fans to buy a part of sporting history and own a piece of memorabilia from one of the greatest sports personalities worldwide.

“As Frankie is such a household name and easily the most famous person in the history of horse racing, we did expect to see a great deal of interest in this sale, however some of the prices achieved for the more important lots have been unprecedented.

“We were delighted to be able to assist the Dettori family in scaling down the numbers of trophies and memorabilia items kept at the house and would like to congratulate the lucky buyers who were successful during the sale.”

John Ryan is targeting York compensation with star sprinter Manaccan following his late withdrawal at Royal Ascot last week.

The four-year-old was due to line up as a major contender for the King’s Stand Stakes under Frankie Dettori, but was declared a non-runner on veterinary advice following his arrival at the racecourse.

While Ryan admits the decision was “hard to stomach”, he is keen to move on and hopes to see Manaccan return to competitive action in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes on August 25.

“He’s able to get out and exercise, he’s sound enough,” said Newmarket handler.

“We had a little blip there, but we’ll tick through and see if we can’t prep him for the Nunthorpe. There’s nothing else before that for him, so we’ll do our best to get there.”

Ryan believes a prolonged journey to Ascot was behind Manaccan’s reported lameness and while disappointed his stable star was unable to take his chance at the Royal meeting, he accepts the decision made by the on-course veterinary team.

“It was an annoyance to say the least, but those things have to be abided by,” he added.

“He got to the racecourse and although he was sound, he’d given himself a knock and as a precaution, the vets felt it wasn’t worth taking a chance.

“I don’t disagree, if there’s doubt you’re better to be safe than sorry and we’ll try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“He had a long travel up – he was in the box for over three and a half hours. It usually takes just over an hour and a half from Newmarket and he left early in the morning, but there were accidents and stuff so you can imagine it was tough for him in that heat.

“It was one of those things, it happens. It was hard to stomach on the day as there won’t be another King’s Stand this year, but there will be another option.”

Frankie Dettori’s hopes of winning the one particular race missing from his CV before he retires appear to be over after he was handed an eight-day whip ban for his ride on Inspiral at Royal Ascot.

The Darley July Cup, at his home course of Newmarket, is the one domestic Group One to have eluded the 52-year-old, who will retire at the end of 2023.

He was hoping to have a final crack at it aboard Ralph Beckett’s dual Group One winner Kinross, but was found by the British Horseracing Authority’s Whip Review Committee to have used his whip seven times in the Queen Anne Stakes on John and Thady Gosden’s filly when second to Triple Time.

That is one over the allotted number of six on the Flat, which triggers a four-day ban – and as the race is a Group One that penalty is doubled.

With Dettori already due to be serving a nine-day ban due to run from July 4-12 inclusive for causing interference on Saga in the Wolferton Stakes – which he is appealing – his whip ban would begin after that suspension has been served, ruling him out of the July Cup on July 15. His dates of suspension for his whip ban are July 13-15 and 17-21.

His close friend John Gosden put it best – Frankie Dettori has taken the blows and still come out on top.

The Newmarket trainer will be in his corner for the duration of the Italian’s long farewell season, as he has been throughout.

Bookmakers may have dodged a few body blows at Ascot, yet the lush green strip of Berkshire turf, the scene of his 1996 ‘Magnificent Seven’, has always been Dettori’s favourite area.

A Gold Cup and three further winners made it 81 career victories at Royal Ascot, the most prestigious of meetings.

Gosden knows exactly what the week meant to the 52-year-old.

He said: “It was a huge week for him. He was very, very keen to go out at the top, not to become suddenly this sad, unwanted figure.”

Epsom and Royal Ascot are the only Flat events that really matter to those with an idle interest in the sport. Victory in the Coronation Cup and the Oaks had given the Italian the spotlight he thrives upon.

Ascot Gold Cup glory aboard inexperienced partner Courage Mon Ami ticked the second box and will surely have been enough to secure him a BBC Sports Personality of the Year nomination at the very least.

Dettori’s career, the highs and lows, the ecstasy, showmanship and mood swings, is well documented.

What is not, is the important part he has played behind the scenes for Gosden and his son Thady, who will some day take over at Clarehaven.

“We have had a lot of fun together, from 1993-94 onwards, we’ve had a lot of fun,” said Gosden senior.

“When he arrived on my doorstep during the first year and he’d shaved his head, I thought he’d sent his cousin!

“Three years champion jockey, then the Godolphin job, then that ended. He was knocking around a bit.

“In 2008 he won a Breeders’ Cup Classic (with Raven’s Pass) for me – that is not easily forgotten, between the end of Godolphin and the beginning of our run.

“William (Buick) went to Godolphin and then we’ve had an absolute ball since then, from Golden Horn (winning the Derby) on through with Enable and all those fabulous horses.”

Gosden was there for him when things went sour at Godolphin, when he was handed a six-month suspension after a failed a drug test in France, when he was at his lowest.

“If you check the stats, he had a terrible year with 16 winners,” added the trainer, referring to his annus horribilis in 2013, after which he renewed his partnership. “He knows what it’s like to be shoved into the twilight zone.”

Every low point, the omnipresent Gosden was the father figure, sometimes stern, sometimes frustrated, always adoring, unwavering in the belief that Dettori’s ability could overcome any pitfalls.

They have had their ups and down, of course. Just 12 months ago, all was not well during a terrible Ascot, capped by Stradivarius’ defeat in the Gold Cup.

Arguably, he received a thinly-veiled kick up the backside from Gosden for his work ethic, though the trainer refutes that.

“After his lean spell, he just came to me and had nice horses to ride and we worked together as a team. He never ever needed that (kick up the backside). Every marriage has its ebbs and flows and last year was no different. It was quickly forgotten.”

The last two Royal meetings could arguably be a microcosm of Dettori’s career.

There is another six months of the final chapter to write, yet the Gold Cup – his ninth – could be the crowning moment, two days after picking up a nine-day careless riding ban aboard the King and Queen’s Saga in the Wolferton Stakes.

The story of this year’s renewal? To some, it will be this – has a Gold Cup winner ever been given a cooler or more stylish ride? Until a few strides before the final furlong, Dettori did not visibly move a muscle.

He kidded the free-going Courage Mon Ami round the final turn, saving ground, and while for a split second it looked as if the bird – Coltrane – had flown, the imperious Dettori waited, daringly switching left under two furlongs out.

Such was his ease of success in the end, it seemed as if the first time he took his hands off the reins was to thrust a right-hand skywards in a triumphant salute. That was not the case, of course. It took plenty of guile and muscle for the rider to redress the deficit.

If Gosden was surprised the four-year-old, with just three previous runs, had won, his emotions were the polar opposite for the ride, a gift honed on those oft-cold winter mornings on the gallops.

“You give him nice horses, have him come in the morning, discuss the horses, he is a fabulous judge as a work-rider. Not all jockeys are like that,” revealed Gosden.

“Great judge, Frankie. Gives you a very good idea of where you are going, where you are not going. He’s quick to feel that.

“It is one of his great assets is as a jockey in the morning. The afternoon is one thing, but the morning is fantastic. It is the intuition, feel and experience he has with horses. The feel, the instinctive feel – he has that.

“His father was champion jockey, his mother came from an amazing circus family, he was bred to be a phenomenal athlete. It’s great, it was just that time before he joined me again in 2015 when it wasn’t pleasant to witness.

“But now he’s through, we’ve had a wonderful run. We’ve had some great fun. He’s had a great Ascot and it’s great to go out and walk away carrying all the belts, not being on the bottom of the canvas.”

Frankie Dettori will arrive for his final day at Royal Ascot in the grandest possible fashion as part of the royal procession.

The 52-year-old has bounced back from a disappointing first day when he went winless and picked up a nine-day suspension – which he is appealing – to enjoy some spectacular successes, including the Gold Cup aboard Courage Mon Ami.

Dettori and his wife, Catherine, are in carriage four with Jamie Snowden and his wife, Lucy.

His book of rides on Saturday sees Covey as favourite for the Jersey Stakes, Free Wind a short price in the Hardwicke, Kinross fancied in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and Knockbrex the market leader in the Golden Gates Handicap. He also rides Mums Tipple in the Wokingham.

Following Courage Mon Ami’s memorable Gold Cup triumph, bookmakers have revealed just how popular Frankie Dettori has been with Royal Ascot punters this week.

Entain, parent company of leading firms such as Ladbrokes and Coral, has highlighted how the ‘Frankie Factor’ has been in full force during his final Royal meeting.

Over the opening three days of Royal Ascot, 11 per cent of the overall volume of single bets have been placed on Dettori and his mounts have featured in 38 per cent of all multiple bets .

Queen Anne Stakes runner-up Inspiral was the best-backed horse on day one and attracted 23 per cent of single bets placed on the curtain raiser, despite being second favourite behind Modern Games.

On Wednesday, Dettori featured in 38 per cent of all accumulators and heavily-supported Queen’s Vase winner Gregory was forced into evens favourite.

Despite going off at a generous 15-2, Courage Mon Ami was the third-best backed horse across all races on Ladies’ Day and Dettori led the way in total Thursday wagers at 12 per cent.

Entain chief commercial officer Dominic Grounsell said: “There has been even more of a buzz around Frankie Dettori since the beginning of the Flat season. The world is watching his final season as a professional jockey to see if he can finish in style.

“Our customers have been weighing in on him in all the big meets so far this year, and Royal Ascot has been no different.

“He brings excitement, swagger and a huge following wherever he races, and racing will lose one of its most famous faces and infectious characters this year.

“Let’s enjoy the final few months of Frankie Dettori racing on our screens and follow how the ‘Frankie Factor’ continues to drive fan favourites up and down racecourses this summer.”

Dettori’s popularity was previously on full view in this season’s Classic contests at Newmarket and Epsom.

Entain reports that Chaldean generated 19 per cent of bets placed on the day of the 2000 Guineas, the biggest percentage of any horse in that race, before powering to victory.

Following his success on Emily Upjohn in the Coronation Cup and Soul Sister in the Oaks, Dettori’s Derby mount Arrest was backed into favourite for the Epsom Classic.

Over 19 per cent of 168,000 bets placed on the blue riband event with Entain were for Arrest, but he could only manage 10th place.

Change is afoot in the world of Flat racing – a sport that has long benefited from royal patronage and the broad appeal and magical talent of Frankie Dettori.

The late Queen was racing’s most high-profile supporter and Dettori its greatest exponent, so the loss of the former in September and the announcement in December this would be the Italian’s final year in the saddle had obvious ramifications.

Dettori’s flair for the dramatic would never allow him to bow out quietly, of course, and he has shown no signs of doing so thus far, winning the 2000 Guineas aboard Chaldean, the Coronation Cup with Emily Upjohn and the Oaks through Soul Sister.

At his last Royal meeting he rode a winner in front of the King and Queen when partnering Gregory to victory in the Queen’s Vase on Wednesday.

The meeting’s feature race is the Gold Cup, however, a contest Dettori had won eight times prior to his ride on the unexposed but unbeaten Courage Mon Ami, trained by John and Thady Gosden.

Sent off at 15-2 in an open race, he rewarded what was a bold entry in the race to battle to a three-quarter-length triumph over Andrew Balding’s 11-4 favourite Coltrane.

Returning to a grandstand still bubbling from a royal winner for the new King and Queen earlier in the afternoon, Dettori was the recipient of four outbreaks of cheering. Once when riding in, once when performing his flying dismount, once when kissing the Queen on the cheek when accepting the trophy and once when throwing the trophy above his head for the waiting photographers.

“It’s unbelievable, in my last year winning the Gold Cup,” he said.

“Myself, the King and Queen Camilla had a talk beforehand, talking about his win in the previous race and my relationship with his mother, then in the next race I go and win the Gold Cup and he presents the trophy – amazing.

“It’s my last year so this was the only chance I had for the King to present me with the trophy and it’s pretty emotional.

“He’s a lovely man, Camilla is lovely and it’s an honour to ride for them and get presented with the trophy by them.”

Of the winner, he said: “I wanted to ride him to run well, because I really don’t know the horse and I didn’t know his capability or if he was able to stay.

“I knew there would be pace, I wanted to swing out wide but Stephane (Pasquier, on Big Call) kept me in and actually won me the race, because I thought ‘I’ll cut the corner and see what happens’. Then it happened!

“Nine Gold Cups, what can you say – amazing. I’m speechless because I didn’t expect it, to be honest with you.”

Dettori was joined by his children on the podium, an opportunity unlikely to come round again.

“My children came up for the presentation, they were nervous and didn’t know what to do. I said ‘come on, we’ve won the Gold Cup so you can go up there and shake hands with the King’,” he said.

“It’s good for them as now they’re old enough to understand it. For the last 18 years they just thought I was a man on TV, like Peppa Pig or something! Now they really know what I’ve been doing.”

The Frankie Dettori farewell tour will be a long one – an international affair that is likely to roll on until the Breeders’ Cup and Melbourne Cup in winter, when the British racing scene has, even then, started to revolve around Cheltenham and Aintree.

Though the idea of a sport without Dettori will solidify in the later months, the thick of the domestic season was always going to be a poignant time for a rider who has plied his trade in England since he was a teenager.

Dettori is associated heavily with Ascot and a win at the Royal meeting, which attracts more attention than any other on the Flat, was more or less considered a given owing to the Italian’s book of rides and his ability to shine in the limelight.

On the first day of the fixture it seemed fortune was not going to comply with expectations, however. Dettori was beaten a neck on Inspiral in the Queen Anne, was second aboard Chaldean in the St James’s Palace and was second again on Absurde in the Copper Horse Handicap.

To make matters worse he was handed a nine-day suspension for his ride on the King and Queen’s Saga in the Wolferton Stakes, being adjudged by the stewards to have caused interference shortly after the start.

But Wednesday offered more chances, with another competitive book of rides, none more so than Queen’s Vase favourite Gregory, who went off at even money for John and Thady Gosden after winning both of his previous starts.

This time luck did play ball and Dettori ended any conversation about a potential Ascot drought with a convincing length-and-a-half success that drew racegoers from all over the track to watch the famous flying dismount in the winner’s enclosure.

“You get to the second-last on day two and you start to think…,” he said.

“I’ve had a few favourites and three seconds. I knew this horse was good enough, but I wasn’t so sure about his experience.

“He is very laid-back at home and I thought if he doesn’t jump he will get lost, but he jumped great, I got him to the front and I knew he would stay very well.”

He might even have found a St Leger candidate to add an extra layer of gold dust to a CV that is already bursting at the seams.

“He was like a sleeping giant in the yard, and all of a sudden he’s a Royal Ascot winner,” he said.

“Potentially he could be a nice St Leger horse for the end of the season, but John and Thady Gosden will work something out.

“It’s great, my family is here, it’s the only day they are all here, so to ride a winner is great. Ascot very kindly gave me a box for my family today and most of them are here, so I’m glad I could ride a winner in front of them.

“Now I’m chasing 80 (Royal Ascot winners), so I need two more.”

Asked whether he got a great reception, he said: “Yeah I did – of course, an even-money favourite with me on, of course you’re going to get a big reception! It was good and I’m pleased. I hope everyone was on.”

There may still be an appeal to the nine-day suspension, with Dettori taking legal advice before making a decision.

He said: “I’ve got my lawyers looking at it, I’m sad I’m missing Emily (Upjohn, favourite for the Coral-Eclipse) but it’s one of those things.

“I’m glad nobody got hurt or fell. My lawyer is looking at it, it’s that point of the race where you go into a bottleneck, the false rail is out, we all got together.

“If there is room to appeal, we will, but I’m not going to do it just to waste anybody’s time.”

Frankie Dettori was once again the toast of Royal Ascot, as the magical Italian secured the first winner of his final week at the showpiece meeting courtesy of Gregory in the Queen’s Vase.

The 52-year-old announced in December that 2023 would be his last year in the saddle and on so many occasions he has stolen the show at the summer spectacular.

But the opening day was a frustrating one for the veteran rider as not only did he have to make do with the runner-up spot in three races, he also picked up a nine-day suspension for careless riding.

But the betting suggested John and Thady Gosden’s dual winner Gregory would get him off the mark on day two, with punters ensuring he went off an even-money favourite, and Dettori delivered a brilliantly-judged ride from the front to send the packed grandstands wild.

Just for a moment it looked like Gregory could be picked off by Saint George when challenged in the closing stages, but the son of Golden Horn found more for pressure and was ultimately well on top as he passed the post with a length and a half in hand, giving his rider a 78th Royal Ascot success.

“I thought this winner was never going to come this year. I had three seconds yesterday, but I knew this would be my best chance,” Dettori told ITV Racing.

“I was in front a long time and when Oisin (Murphy, on the runner-up) came to me I thought ‘oh no, not second again’. This horse really stuck his neck out though, he was great. To ride a winner at my last Royal Ascot is fantastic.

“It was amazing the reception I got because it is my last season, I couldn’t be happier. I’m both sad and happy, I’ve still got three more days, but at least I’ve got one on the board.”

Gosden senior said of his completely unexposed winner, who is now favourite for the St Leger: “That was a dominant display, he broke well, Frankie got a good position and then he was able to control the pace. When the second came to him he’s gone away again.

“He’s a class horse, we’re aiming for the St Leger and I told the owners before. All being well, touch wood, he might be a Cup horse next season.

“He’ll need to run somewhere before the Leger, so he’ll go in one of the trials. I trained the father (Golden Horn) and the mother (Gretchen), so I know the family very well.”

He added: “It’s absolutely great, Frankie won it in the first furlong because he got him out and got the position. That bend comes very quickly.

“The owners, Wathnan Racing, are new to the yard and that is only their second ever runner at Royal Ascot, so it’s not a bad way to start.”