Dettori teams up with Arc hero Tasso

Italian has picked up plum spare ride.

Frankie Dettori teams up with Marcel Weiss’ Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Torquator Tasso in the Group One Wettstar Grosser Preis von Baden on Sunday.

The chestnut won the same contest by a length last year and then caused an upset in France when triumphing at sizeable odds having been largely overlooked.

Having returned to winning ways in a Group Two at Hamburg after a lacklustre seasonal debut, he travelled to Ascot for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and was beaten into second by Pyledriver.

The five-year-old is on his way back to ParisLongchamp to defend his Arc crown but will first bid retain this title against just four rivals.

“The horse is in a beautiful situation, the trainer said the last piece of work he has done was very good and he was in good shape,” said part-owner Peter-Michael Endres.

Frankie Dettori will ride Torquator Tasso in the 152nd Grosser Preis von Baden on September 4
Torquator Tasso (Scoopdyga/France Galop)

“The ground is soft but we expect a little more rain on Saturday so maybe it will be softer.

“He is not dependent on soft ground, he is not dependent on any ground, you saw at Ascot that he ran a very good race and it was firm.

“It’s a race with only four other horses and we don’t know how it will go, but we are in a good mood.”

Dettori will take the ride for the first time in Baden-Baden, with the jockey telling Sporting Index: “It was great to get the call to ride Torquator Tasso in the Group One Grosser Preis von Baden on Sunday.

“It’s like Germany’s King George, and I remember winning it 20 years ago aboard Marienbard and then going on to win the Arc.

“I don’t know what their plans are after Sunday, and I’m sure a lot will depend on how the race goes, but I’m really excited for it.

“I’ve only been asked to come in for Sunday as Rene (Piechulek) is contracted to ride Mendocino, so I’ll give it my best shot.

“The horse showed that winning the Arc was no fluke having gone on to win a Group Two and finish second in the King George this year, so hopefully he’s ready for another big run.

“The German Derby winner, Sammarco, is maybe the most interesting challenger in there and it looks a small but select field overall.

“It’s the best weight-for-age race that Germany has to offer and it falls at just the right time before the Arc, which is why you see a lot of good horses use it as a springboard.”

As Dettori mentioned, a key rival for Torquator Tasso will be Sammarco, a three-year-old son of Camelot who comes into the race in a fantastic vein of form.

The Peter Schiergen-trained colt has gone from strength to strength this season, winning consecutive Group One titles in both the Deutsches Derby and the Bayerisches Zuchtrennen.

The Deutsches Derby is run over the same one-mile-four-furlong trip as the Grosser Preis von Baden, leaving the bay proven at the trip and, according to Schiergen, untroubled by whatever ground may materialise.

“He has been good,” he said.

“There are not too many in there, but Torquator Tasso is a good horse so we will see.

“His form is very good and he had a canter Friday morning and he was great.

“The ground is good for him, he never has a problem with the ground and it will be quite slow on Sunday which will be fine.”

Connections have been pondering supplementing Sammarco for the Arc and will make a decision on his involvement after Sunday’s contest.

Schiergen said: “We will decide after the race whether we do or not.”

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