'I'm not going to start crying just yet' - Frankie Dettori back in Britain with a winner

Frankie Dettori jetted in from the US to kick off the British leg of his farewell tour on the opening day of the Craven meeting and hit the board with a winner.

Covey ran out an easy 5-6 winner of the Alex Scott Maiden Stakes, last of the three-time champion jockey's mounts, and improved massively on the first two, who both finished last. 

Dettori was in action at Keeneland at the weekend and still has unfinished business Stateside, but he's counting the days until his planned curtain call at Ascot on October 21. 

He said: "I arrived this only morning. I slept for two hours on the plane and two hours in my bed before coming here. I had to start somewhere and I thought Covey looked a good favourite. Reach For The Moon was a bit disappointing, but it's nice to get a winner on the board."

The 52-year-old jockey has enjoyed much success at the Craven meeting over the past 30 years and holds the record for the number of wins in the Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes, the feature at the track on Wednesday. 

He added: "Funnily enough, this morning I was counting the days until I retire. It's six months until Champions Day on October 21, so there's still plenty to do, but I'm not going to start crying just yet. I'm going to enjoy it.

On his winner, Dettori said: "Covey did it all his own way. He's still learning and is a nice horse going forward. "

Fleet sinks opposition 

William Buick had partnered Hurricane Lane in an impressive workout on the Rowley Mile before the three-day Craven meeting had even started, and was again to the fore when stablemate Ottoman Fleet sank his rivals in the featured Group 3 Earl Of Sefton Stakes.

Winners are usually hard to find at the Craven meeting, but not this year. Three of the first four favourites won, including the well-backed 6-4 Ottoman Fleet, who was one of only two in the seven-runner field with a previous outing this year.

Twice a previous winner on the Rowley Mile, the four-year-old was fit from three outings at the Dubai Carnival, and it showed when he powered out of the Dip to trump Poker Face.

Ottoman Fleet: scoots clear under William Buick to land the Group 3 bet365 Earl Of Sefton Stakes Credit: Mark Cranham

Trainer Charlie Appleby and Buick were winning the nine-furlong race together for a third time after fellow course specialist French Navy struck in 2015 and Master Of The Seas won last year.

Buick said: "He likes cut in the ground, so this surface suited him well, and he has shown in the past he likes it here. He had run well three times at Meydan without winning and it was nice that he could get his head in front."

Appleby said: "It was always the plan to come here and William gave him a confident ride. There are no firm plans as he was fit from Dubai, so we'll give him a break."

Ed Crisford, joint trainer of the runner-up, said: "We're extremely pleased with that as it was his first run in a black-type race. The winner was fit from three runs at Meydan, which probably made the difference, but we've no complaints." 

Pride kicks off Godolphin double

Majestic Pride (right): William Buick lands the first leg of his double for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby in the 7f conditions stakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Appleby's Moulton Paddocks team had earlier got off to a flyer when Majestic Pride landed the first race of the fixture when justifying favouritism in the 7f conditions stakes.

It was no surprise that the 2-1 chance handled easy conditions as he is a half-brother to the mud-loving Farhh and was supplementing a win on the all-weather at Chelmsford at the backend of last year.

Appleby said: "Majestic Pride had been on the runners list for a while now, so wasn't short of fitness, and it was a plus that the ground was on the easy side as his family handle it well.

"Going forward, we don't see him as a 2,000 Guineas horse, but he could come back for the Listed King Charles II Stakes at the same meeting."

Read more:

Can Coppice stamp her ticket for the 1,000 Guineas and give Frankie Dettori another farewell Classic hope? 

'I can't wait for the 2,000 Guineas' - David Egan excited after Sakheer impresses in racecourse gallop 

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