Who knows for sure if it was Frankie Dettori’s last time riding at Ascot, let alone in Britain, but listening to the crowd roar their favorite home aboard Trawlerman in the Oct. 21 British Champions Long Distance Cup (G1) it was clear no one really cared.
Regardless of what may or may not follow for Dettori, his fans were out in force to see him ride a winner on Champions Day and he did not let them down, galvanizing Trawlerman in the final furlong to overhaul Kyprios and send Ascot into pandemonium.
“That was nuts, absolutely nuts,” said Dettori. “I heard the roar of the crowd and oh my god it was special. I couldn’t believe it.”
Sometimes, the script writes itself 😎 @FrankieDettori and TRAWLERMAN, roared on by the #Ascot crowd, get back up to beat KYPRIOS and claim the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup 🏆 congratulations to Frankie, John & @thadygosden, and @godolphin 💙 pic.twitter.com/Mds3UZqdby
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) October 21, 2023
The entire race took some believing, with 150-1 shot Maxident setting off like he was running in the Champions Sprint and opening up a huge gap on the peloton. Dettori decided to sit far closer to the runaway leader than his rivals and, when Maxident raised the white flag on the exit from Swinley Bottom, Trawlerman was left in front.
Rather than hurrying his partner along, Dettori sat as quiet as a mouse, and while he looked booked for second as Kyprios shot past on the home turn, he soon drummed Trawlerman up for one last thrust, regaining the lead close home to get his ‘farewell’ to British racing off to a dream start.
“To beat one of my greatest rivals in Ryan Moore, who I have tremendous respect for, on my final day is sensational,” said the rider. “When he passed me comfortably, I thought he was going to win by a few lengths but when he couldn’t get away from me, I thought that maybe there’s a little bit left here. In fairness, Trawlerman was a professional today and a great battler.”
In the royal blue of owners Godolphin, so long Dettori’s main supporters, and trained by his great friends John and Thady Gosden, Trawlerman’s success was a scriptwriter’s dream and John Gosden did not disappoint with his words as he lavished praise on his rider.
“The genius of Mr. Dettori was not to throw everything at it at the head of the straight,” he said. “Kyprios swept past but Frankie kept a little in the tank and that’s judgement and years of experience. He was then able to collect Trawlerman again and get back up by a neck. It was fantastic judgement on his part.
“Like all of us, Frankie doesn’t always get it perfect but he’s got a wonderful judgement of pace and he’s got a great feel for a horse. I didn’t think he’d get back up and win and it quite lifted the crowd.”
The Gosdens also saddled third-home Sweet William , with the stablemates set to return for the big staying races next season. John Gosden added: “They’ve both run a blinder and, like all of us old stayers, they will hang around forever.”
While Trawlerman touched 999-1 in-running on Betfair’s exchange, runner-up Kyprios traded at a low of 1.02.
His trainer Aidan O’Brien said: “I’m delighted on how he’s come back this season [from injury]. Obviously he made great progress from the Curragh and ran a great race today.”
