John and Tanya Gunther’s fairytale season got even better on Day One of Royal Ascot on Tuesday as their homebred colt Without Parole won the Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes under Frankiie Dettori.
Justify – Triple Crown winner
The father and daughter have already enjoyed a stellar year as the breeders of Triple Crown winner Justify and were on hand to witness Without Parole, a son of Frankel and half brother to 2016 Gr1 Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Tamarkuz , take one of the most prestigious races of the week .
And Dettori is in the hot seat again today as it is time for Cracksman to take centre stage as he bids to win his fourth Gr1 in the Prince Of Wale’s Stakes.
Trained by the Gosden team and officially the highest-rated horse in Europe, Cracksman has been heavily backed to return to his brilliant best after only squeaking home in Epsom’s Coronation Cup.
At Ascot in October, the son of Frankel ran away with the Champion Stakes.
“It’s obvious to everyone he doesn’t like the hills at Epsom,” said Dettori. “I hope that ‘the beast’ turns up, like the Champion Stakes, and we’ll have some fun.”
Frankie Dettori
The BBC reports that after being forced to miss riding at Royal Ascot 2017 because of a shoulder injury sustained just before the fixture, Frankie Dettori is back with a bang – and looking forward to a gilt-edged book of mounts.
The winner of a record – amongst current jockeys – 56 Royal Ascot prizes since partnering the first, as a 19-year-old in 1990, Dettori says the five days “mean everything” to him.
Dettori will also partner Gosden’s Stradivarius – “a bonny little horse” – in the Gold Cup (Thursday); and in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Saturday), Aussie challenger Redkirk Warrior, for whom he was booked in March.
