Dettori delighted to get World Cup call from Baffert

Italian has major chance at Meydan with Country Grammer.

Frankie Dettori is excited to team up with American trainer Bob Baffert in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan on Saturday.

The Italian got the call to ride Saudi Cup runner-up Country Grammer after Flavien Prat chose Hot Rod Charlie, trained by Doug O’Neill, instead.

Both Dettori and Baffert have won the Dubai World Cup three times, with the jockey scoring on Dubai Millennium (2000), Moon Ballad (2003) and Electrocutionist (2006) and the trainer sending out Silver Charm (1998), Captain Steve (2001) and Arrogate (2017).

“Once Flavien chose Hot Rod Charlie, I was fortunate enough to be asked to ride Country Grammer in the Dubai World Cup. It will be the first time I’ve ridden for Bob Baffert in about 30 years!” Dettori said in his blog for Sporting Index.

“Bob won this race for the first time back in 1998 and he’s a real legend, so I’m really pleased to be teaming up with him again, as well as the owner, Amr Zedan, who is fairly new to racing. I had a good chat with Zedan in the week, we get on well and he’s a nice guy, so it would be great to win it for connections.

“The favourite, Life Is Good, looks a very tough nut to crack based on his run in the Pegasus, but my horse has a lot of positives too. He ran a big race in the Saudi Cup, goes well on two turns and gets the trip really well.

“I was on Real World in that race, who lines up in this too, and I feel he’s better than what he showed that day. He was drawn wide and never got into the race. I still believe there’s a very good horse inside him.”

Dettori has a good book of rides on the card, including Lord North, who bids for back-to-back victories in the Dubai Turf.

“I’ve been back to England the last couple of weeks to sit on him at home and he’s in good health,” he said.

“He’s had his problems and would have needed his comeback run at Lingfield last month, but he now feels like he’s right where we need him to be in terms of fitness and well-being. Only time will tell if he’s back to his best, and it doesn’t get any easier as you get older – let me tell you – but from what I can feel, everything is very positive.

“Full credit to John, Thady (Gosden) and the team, because after the race last year we weren’t sure if we’d get him back. I hope he’s got the same brilliance, but we won’t know until we ask him the question on Saturday.”

Dettori has come in for a good spare ride on the William Muir and Chris Grassick-trained Pyledriver in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic due to an injury to Martin Dwyer.

“The Sheema Classic looks like the race of the night, with a great mix of top-quality Group One horses from across the world – it feels like a King George!” said Dettori.

“I was on the treadmill the other day and watching highlights from an Arsenal match when Martin called. First thing I thought was that he’d called me up to give me some stick about Arsenal, as he usually does.

Pyledriver will be Dettori's mount in the Sheema Classic
Pyledriver will be Dettori’s mount in the Sheema Classic (David Davies/PA)

“Anyway, he popped up on the video and the first thing I saw was this massive red nose, a bit like Rudolph! I didn’t realise that he’d taken a fall and hurt himself and then he went on to ask me about riding Pyledriver.

“He’s a very solid horse who didn’t get much of a run in Saudi having been drawn in 14 and I’m delighted to get the ride. He’s been drawn well this time in stall one, has some great form in the book and I’ll give it my best shot.

“I’ve raced against him a number of times, so I know a fair bit about his style of racing and have already got an idea of what to do. It’s a shame that Martin won’t be able to ride him, but I’ll give it my all and I’m looking forward to it.”

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