Short on funds but still long on talent - Frankie Dettori does it again at the World Cup meeting

Whatever may have been going on out of the saddle of late, Frankie Dettori is still a good jockey. A darned good one.

The man who recently filed for bankruptcy having been unable to reach agreement with HM Revenue and Customs over a long-running tax dispute, showed he is still the man of the Magnificent Seven and countless other huge triumphs with a perfect ride back at a meeting where he has won four World Cups.

He judged the Godolphin Mile from the front in expert fashion on Raging Torrent and his all-the-way success clearly meant plenty as the trademark flying dismount was followed by a double fist pump.

"I came for this and I'm delighted," he said. "He's a horse that's sensible, he runs a little bit behind the bridle and so I knew he'd relax on and off.

"If the others pressure him they're playing Russian roulette, nobody's going to jeopardise their horse to try to take me on.

"He's such a beautiful horse. It's a plan well executed from the beginning to the end. He's a relentless galloper, as long as I got my fractions right I knew I'd get to the end."

However, Dettori later came agonisingly close to capping a memorable night in the Dubai World Cup. He looked for all the world like he was going to win the feature prize on the Doug O'Neill-trained Mixto, but the pair were denied in the final yards by the Brad Cox-trained outsider Hit Show in a one-two for the US.

Hit Show: winner of the Dubai World Cup Credit: FADEL SENNA/AFP (Getty Images)

Dettori had swept into the lead on Mixto in the home straight, but the five-year-old started to tread water in the last furlong and he was caught in the final yards by Hit Show and his rider Florent Geroux.

'She really did want it'

Believing paid back the first instalment on her three million guineas transfer fee by finally landing an elusive Group 1 success.

William Buick, deputising for the absent Ryan Moore, donned her new Coolmore silks and got the four-year-old home in the Al Quoz Sprint after three near-misses last season.

She remains with George Boughey and the jockey said: "I spoke to George at length about her when it looked like Ryan was heading to Australia. It's a spare ride; she's Ryan's ride.

Believing: winner of the Al Quoz Sprint under William BuickCredit: Dubai Racing Club

"George was very happy with her, he was very bullish. She'd had a faultless prep and he sounded as though he was confident she was a better filly heading into this year than she was last year.

"The race went how I saw it beforehand. This is a very fair track, she's a very uncomplicated filly. It was a smooth trip, she dug deep, she really did want it."

Warrior defeated

Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior suffered a surprise defeat in the Dubai Turf — although it was so narrow that it took several minutes of analysis of the photo before it was announced he had been beaten.

The 2-5 favourite was caught in the final stride by Japanese challenger Soul Rush, who prevailed by a nose.

"I didn't know whether I'd held on," said Romantic Warrior's jockey James McDonald, who had also been on board for his mount's previous eight straight wins on turf.

"It was close wasn't it? He's had a long campaign," he added.

The winner, ridden by Cristian Demuro for trainer Yasutoshi Ikee, had scored in Grade 1 company in his home country last autumn.

Danon does it

Calandagan fared best of the Europeans in the Dubai Sheema Classic, taking second place under Mickael Barzalona. But he was no match for Japanese Derby winner Danon Decile, who scored in good style under Keita Tosaki.

"He's a very, very good horse," Japan's three-time champion jockey said of the winner. "There was huge pressure on me so it's fantastic to win this race.

"For the people watching at home in Japan so late, I am so happy, thank you so much."

Trainer Shogo Yasuda had hinted in the build-up to the race that the winner could head to York in the summer for the Juddmonte International.

Back to the Future

It is not a bad policy to back a nine-year-old on Grand National day but it usually applies to Aintree rather than Meydan.

Dubai Future is the same age as Rule The World, Corach Rambler and Tiger Roll (second time round) were on their big day and he has a steeplechaser-style gap in his CV — off for nearly two years before a successful return here in February.

But many a National winner has triumphed after adversity and he did the same, rolling back the years for himself and for Saeed bin Suroor and Silvestre de Sousa, who enjoyed numerous big wins together in the past, most notably in the World Cup here with African Story in 2014.

Silvestre de Sousa won on Dubai Future

Sheikh Mohammed greeted the Godolphin winner on his return and the jockey said: "I'm so delighted to wear these colours for His Highness.

"That was great. He's a very talented horse. My concern was the trip. He's a strong traveller but he relaxed today, he switched off. They didn't go a strong pace early on but he relaxed for me. When I let him down I let him organise himself before I really went for him and he responded to pressure. It was a great performance by Saeed."

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