'It's the best news, isn't it?' - owners hail Dettori's return to Gosden fold

The owner of Mighty Ulysses has welcomed the news that Frankie Dettori will be back aboard his potential star when the July festival gets under way at Newmarket on Thursday.

John Gosden put an end to speculation surrounding who would ride Inspiral in Friday's Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes on Tuesday when calling an end to the brief sabbatical in his and his son Thady's professional relationship with the jockey.

An even more immediate beneficiary from their rapprochement is Derby-winning owner Saeed Suhail, whose Mighty Ulysses will be a short price to land the Listed Edmonson Hall Solicitors Henry Cecil Stakes (4.10) with Dettori in the saddle.

"It's the best news, isn't it?" said Suhail's racing manager, Bruce Raymond. "When he couldn't get Dettori originally for Mighty Ulysses, Saeed wanted me to snap up Ryan Moore.

"The options for us are Ryan Moore, Richard Kingscote and Frankie so we're delighted he's back on board."

Mighty Ulysses and Frankie Dettori (second right) throwing down a big challenge in the St James's Palace Stakes at AscotCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Mighty Ulysses will be Dettori's first ride back for the Gosdens since Royal Ascot and Raymond is confident he should outclass his rivals having finished a close-up fifth in the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes.

"I was surprised when John said he was taking him to Ascot and more so when he said it was for the St James’s Palace," said Raymond. "But who am I to argue with John and he wasn't far out, was he?

"He ran really well and this being a Listed race, he should win this on the steel. He's progressive and by the end of the season I think he'll be one of the better ones."

Cheveley Park Stud's racing and bloodstock manager Chris Richardson also welcomed the restoration of the relationship between Dettori and the Gosdens.

Inspiral is 1-4 favourite with bet365 to back up her return success in the Coronation Stakes in the Falmouth, a race Dettori has won once on the Mark Johnston-trained Nahoodh in 2008.

Cheveley Park's Chris Richardson with Inspiral and Frankie Dettori after the Coronation StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Richardson said: "All through the spring Frankie was saying, 'She's not there, she's not there', and we listened to what he said. We took a long-term view and looked to the Coronation Stakes, which is one of Patricia Thompson's favourite races, having won it three times before.

"We waited until she was cherry-ripe and we were rewarded when she won impressively."

Speaking to British Champions Series sponsors Qipco, Richardson added:"Inspiral hasn't done much since then, but all has been well with her and she enjoyed a nice stretch on Saturday with Robert Havlin on board.

"Frankie knows her well, having ridden her in all her races bar her first, and Mrs Thompson is pleased that John is happy for him to ride her again on Friday. The stud, and Flat racing, has always been her love, and she embraces every aspect of it."

Inspiral is unbeaten in five starts, landing the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket on her final start at two before beating Spendarella by four and three-quarter lengths on her reappearance at Royal Ascot.

Dettori was in action on Wednesday evening at Kempton, where he posed for selfies and signed autographs for a handful of admirers as he returned from a respectable second place on Apache Spark, his only ride on the card. But he made it clear to reporters that he did not wish to discuss the turbulent recent events in his professional life.

"I love you," he called to representatives of the Racing Post and The Sun as he disappeared back into the sanctum of the weighing room. "I'll see you at Newmarket!"

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