LAST year's Derby may have belonged to Frankie Dettori but the former champion jockey knows he's already been upstaged as far as this year's contest is concerned – by his better half.
Dettori's wife Catherine has been chosen as 'the face' of n
ext month's Blue Riband, which at least means Mrs D is guaranteed to play an active part in the premier Classic which, as things stand, is more than can be said for her old man.
Twelve months on from his emotional victory on Authorized, the Italian's chances of doubling up look remote, particularly as he doesn't even know yet what he's likely to ride in the race.
His main employers Godolphin have already seen two of their Classic hopes, Ibn Khaldun and Laureldean Gale, make no show in either of the Guineas at the weekend and with the boys in blue hardly firing on all cylinders, Dettori's Derby hopes remain very much up in the air.
Things might become slightly clearer after today's Dee Stakes however when Alexandros bids to get Godolphin's season up and running by landing Chester's Group 3 event.
This will be the colt's first appearance for Sheikh Mohammed's operation but he showed enough in his previous life with Andre Fabre in France to suggest he's more than capable of landing this afternoon's £65,000 contest.
If he's not, it's back to the drawing board for connections.
Dettori is also fancied to land the Ormonde Stakes on Raincoat who is, given the current heatwave, hardly a very topical choice but with a bit of luck should win nonetheless, while Joseph Henry may come out best in a very tight looking opener.
In light of their recent 'success' rate, no-one will be sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to discover what the nap is but it's part of my contract with the Scotsman that I have to give one so you're getting it anyway.
Bajan Parkes has yet to be seen in public this term but Eric Alston's experienced campaigner has been around long enough to know what's required of him in the finale on the Roodee.
Jimmy Quinn's mount seems happiest when allowed to bowl along at the head of affairs and while several front runners have gone off far too fast for their own good at Chester this week, Bajan Parkes will hopefully have enough left up his sleeve to repel the late surge of his rivals.
This evening's Hamilton card should see Perfect Polly and Tawzeea keep favourite backers happy with Linda Perratt's Royal Amnesty fancied to carry on the good form he's shown on sand of late now that he's switched back to grass.
Coleorton Dancer hasn't won for a while but a last time out fourth confirmed he was no spent force and back up to six furlongs in the Sharles Chartered Accountants Handicap, he can give Fergal Lynch another winner as the jockey continues on the comeback trail.
At Chester yesterday, Khalid Abdullah unearthed a possible Classic contender as Doctor Fremantle won the Chester Vase. However, connections are more inclined to target the Irish Derby than the Epsom version after the 11-8 favourite scored by half a length for Ryan Moore.
Maraahel was just worried out of a fourth consecutive victory in the Huxley Stakes as Championship Point captured the Group 3 prize. Sir Michael Stoute's seven-year-old has become a standing dish on the Roodee and touched 1-8 in-running on Betfair as Richard Hills narrowly shaded the advantage entering the final furlong aboard the 5-2 chance. But Championship Point (12-1) had a little more left in the locker and pulled out extra to provide Mick Channon with a welcome success. Short-priced favourite Multi-dimensional was disappointing.
Barry Hills saddled his second winner of the meeting as Huzzah (15-2) quickened well in the Halifax Handicap to see off the fast-finishing Fervent Prince by a short head, with the Britannia at Royal Ascot now a possibility.
Moore added to his haul as Richard Hannon's Rebecca De Winter shot clear to take the five-furlong dash at odds of 11-4.
Tom Tate cemented his new partnership with owner Jim Hay as Mull Of Dubai (13-2) sprinted clear under a fine John Egan ride in the ten-furlong Bank Of Ireland Handicap. Egan completed a first-and-last-race double when bagging the closing Cruise Handicap on the Stuart Parr-trained Not My Choice (6-1).
NATAGORA NOT AT BEST IN CLASSIC WINNATAGORA did not have to reproduce her best form to win the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday – that is the verdict of the British Horseracing Authority's deputy head of handicapping Dominic Gardiner-Hill, who revealed his post-race analysis yesterday.
Pascal Bary's filly achieved a higher rating in winning the Cheveley Park Stakes on her final start as a juvenile than when narrowly prevailing with a game front-running performance in the Newmarket Classic.
Gardiner-Hill said: "General consensus throughout Europe is that Natagora performed to 113 in winning the 1000 Guineas, 5lb below her current mark of 118 which was achieved when winning the Cheveley Park.
"(It is) difficult to get her any higher at present as Saoirse Abu and Infallible appear to have run to their respective marks of 111 and 110, while Spacious (second), Lush Lashes (sixth), Royal Confidence (seventh) and Muthabara (eighth) have all improved on previous performances.
"It is also likely that Nahoodh, who is adjudged to have actually run to her current rating of 110, would have stepped up on that with a clear run. A performance of 113 is on a par with the 1000 Guineas performances of Virginia Waters (2005), Kazzia (2002) and Ameerat (2001) in recent years.
"It will, of course, be interesting to see if Natagora can run to the higher level that her two-year-old form suggests she can as the season progresses."
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