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Watch: Appleby and Dettori the Woodbine wonders after Grade 1 double on Sunday

Charlie Appleby: Godolphin trainer looking ahead to success at the Dubai Carnival
Charlie Appleby: celebrated four big-race victories in North America over the weekendCredit: Edward Whitaker

Charlie Appleby and Frankie Dettori ended a sensational weekend with three Grade 1 victories in Canada following a double with Wild Beauty and Albahr on Sunday.

The trainer and jockey, who won Saturday's Canadian International with Walton Street, were the wonders of Woodbine after combining to take the two big juvenile races.

Sweet Solera runner-up Wild Beauty landed the Natalma Stakes and Albahr capped a brilliant weekend for connections in the Summer Stakes when delivering Godolphin a landmark 350th top-flight success.

Fresh from winning the St Leger with Hurricane Lane and National Stakes with Native Trail the weekend before, Appleby had also won Saturday's Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park with Great Voltigeur winner Yibir, the mount of Jamie Spencer.


Appleby lands big North American double as Walton Street and Yibir score


Reflecting on a perfect weekend in Canada, Appleby's assistant Alex Merriam said: "We came over hoping all three horses would be competitive and they have shown that. The track here and the way the races are run have suited, so it has worked out well."

The day did not get off on the best footing for Appleby and Dettori as Wild Beauty blew the start and was positioned last in the early stages of the Natalma.

Dettori did not panic on the Frankel filly, however, and gradually eased her into contention down the back straight before switching her wide to mount her challenge.

Wild Beauty soon took command and cruised home to beat Pizza Bianca by two-and-a-quarter lengths and guarantee a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar on November 5.

Dettori said: "Wild Beauty jumped with the rest of the field but got squeezed and backed off. Luckily for me, they were going a pretty honest pace in front and, by the time I got to the quarter-pole, they all fell in my lap. She stays really well, so it worked out quite well.

"It will be a 14-strong field at Del Mar and she will need the draw, while the stretch is very short, so you will need all the luck. She definitely has the talent to give a good account of herself, but it's a very different ball game compared to Woodbine."

Albahr, winner of his last three starts in Britain, most recently in the Listed Stonehenge Stakes, was also last out of the stalls but quickly regained ground on his rivals.

Dettori had the gelded son of Dubawi in mid-division down the back before switching wide entering the home straight.

Albahr came there with Godolphin's other runner Degree Of Risk, the eventual third, before asserting close home to beat Grafton Street.

Like Wild Beauty, Albahr won by two-and-a-quarter lengths as the short-priced favourite and booked his place at the Breeders' Cup, with a guaranteed berth in the Juvenile Turf on November 5.

Merriam said: "Albahr has done it nicely and it was a very similar race to Wild Beauty in the Natalma Stakes. They have gone hard up front and Frankie has given the horse a great ride. He said he got a good trip, kicked on turning in and put good distance between them, so it was impressive.

"Wild Beauty will go to Del Mar, and Albahr's race was a 'win and you're in' too, so he has every reason to go to the Breeders' Cup as well. The way he has run today, you would like to think he would go there with half a chance."

The three victories at Woodbine made for a triumphant return to the Godolphin silks for Dettori, whose previous top-level win for his old employers came when Colour Vision landed the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in June 2012.

There was also British interest at Belmont Park on Sunday, but the William Haggas-trained Spirit Of Bermuda could not continue the run of success as she finished sixth in the Listed Pebbles Stakes, which was won by the Mark Casse-trained Spanish Loveaffair.


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Andrew DietzReporter

Published on 20 September 2021inInternational

Last updated 09:53, 20 September 2021

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