'It was a dream come true' – Dettori on his fabulous four at Royal Ascot

Frankie Dettori described his sparkling Royal Ascot as a "dream come true" after the devastation of missing out through injury last year.

Four wins, including a big-race treble on the opening day, took him into third on the all-time list of winning jockeys at the royal meeting and has given him plenty to raise a toast to as he enjoys a holiday in Sardinia with weighing-room colleague Andrea Atzeni.

In stealing the show by winning the Gold Cup and St James’s Palace Stakes – cheekily kissing the hand of the Duchess of Sussex afterwards – Dettori, 47, reminded everyone why he remains racing’s greatest selling point.

“When it came to the morning of Royal Ascot I was looking for my stuff, the top hat and tails, and I squeezed my fists and said I was back to Royal Ascot,” he said: “There was this euphoria and energy of being part of it. I was so excited and it was an amazing week.

"I missed last year and four winners – including Lady Aurelia, Big Orange and Stradivarius. I was devastated as Ascot means a lot to me and I had to watch it as a spectator. It was tough, but you move on."

It was the heartache over missing the Olympics of Flat racing that led the evergreen jockey to pick and choose his mounts leading up to the meeting.

"About ten days from Royal Ascot this year I was really careful not to ride when I didn't have to as I was so conscious of not riding there the year before and I knew I had a good book of rides."

Without Parole: the second of three winners for Dettori on the first day of the meetingCredit: Mark Cranham

Calyx's demolition of his Coventry rivals was followed by Without Parole emulating his sire Frankel in winning the St James's Palace, and Dettori was quick to pay tribute to owner-breeders John and Tanya Gunther, who declared the victory to be their racing highlight. Some statement considering they bred Triple Crown hero Justify.

Dettori said: "It was great for John and Tanya Gunther, who bred Justify. They were so emotional and were crying in the parade ring. That meant more to them then winning the Triple Crown, so it shows you how much Royal Ascot means. It was an amazing day."

It was Stradivarius, the small chestnut with the flashy white legs, who gave Dettori a sixth Gold Cup and a landmark 60th winner at the royal meeting.

"For the Gold Cup you had Order Of St George, the French champion [Vazirabad] and the young champion stayer [Stradivarius] from England. What looks to be a good race on paper never usually turns out to be a good race, but from the two-furlong pole they were all there."

Stradivarius: heads Vazirabad to give Dettori his sixth Gold CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

All four of Dettori's winning mounts – his joint-best effort since 2004 – were trained by John Gosden, another master of the Ascot turf, and the jockey explained how the trainer was at his best in restraining Monarchs Glen's explosive tendencies before the Wolferton Stakes on the opening day.

He said: "He's a very difficult ride, he boils over in the preliminaries and John was brilliant because he had people leading him on to the track, people waiting by the stalls. He had everything organised to make sure Monarchs Glen was as calm as he could be."

If the first and third days provided euphoria, Dettori was quickly knocked off cloud nine with Cracksman's defeat in the Prince of Wales's Stakes.

He admitted: "It was very disappointing. You go from a big high to a big low. The Cracksman of Ascot wasn't the Cracksman in the Prix Ganay."

Monarchs Glen completes Dettori's first-day trebleCredit: Edward Whitaker

It was a similar story with the fancied Australian raider Redkirk Warrior in the Diamond Jubilee on Saturday for which the horse "never turned up" and finished tenth of the 12 runners.

Dettori said: "He never ran a race. He ran for four furlongs and then went out like a light. I couldn't put my finger on it. I'm disappointed for the owners, he never ran his race and his form tied up with the winner [Merchant Navy]."

With mounts at Newmarket on Friday awaiting him there is little rest where Dettori is concerned, but it is safe to assume this year's Royal Ascot will be one the star rider will remember with fondness.

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