'Standout jockey' Frankie Dettori gears up for Chaldean ride with Italian 2,000 Guineas first

Andrew Balding is hoping that Chaldean can be part of giving Frankie Dettori "the send-off he deserves" when the pair are reunited in Saturday's Qipco 2,000 Guineas.

Balding reports last season's Dewhurst winner to be none the worse having galloped lose after decanted Dettori upon leaving the stalls in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury last month.

And the man himself will head to Newmarket in excellent heart having completed his set of Italian Classics when winning the Roman version of the 2,000 Guineas aboard Vero Altea on Monday.

Balding said: "Frankie has been, throughout my career in racing, the standout jockey. It would be wonderful if we can contribute in giving him the send-off he deserves.

"I think if you were giving him a ride in the St Leger that would be a bit more pressure as it would be his last Classic ride. We just hope we have found him something worthy enough for this occasion."

Frankie Dettori walks back to the Newbury weighing room after being unseated from ChaldeanCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Chaldean remains the leading British-trained contender for the first colts' Classic of the season despite his preparations going awry in the Greenham, with William Hill's 13-2 the standout price available.

"We will only know on Saturday what we missed out on at Newbury and the benefits of having a run as obviously it would have been far more a benefit for him to have had a jockey on board and have a proper race," said Balding.

"At the same time, it wasn't totally lost as he had to go through the preliminary tests of saddling, walking around the paddock and cantering down to the start, which are the extras that go with a run and not just a gallop at home.

"I couldn't be happier with him at the moment and Frankie rode him on Saturday and he worked extremely well. It was a very solid piece and his fitness levels are as good as we could hope for in the circumstances."

'I'll never have another chance'

The latest stop on Dettori's retirement grand tour was a victorious one as he stormed to success in the Premio Parioli at Rome's Capannelle racecourse on Monday.

Dettori had previously been runner-up on four occasions in the race but made no mistake aboard the Bruno Grizzetti-trained Vero Atleta, the champion two-year-old colt last season.

"It's my last Parioli, I'll never have another chance so I didn't want to miss the penalty," an emotional Dettori said. "I was riding the best horse in the race and I didn't want to take any risks on this [soft] ground."

Dettori was posted three wide round the turn and kicked the son of Gleneagles into a decisive lead on straightening up, leading home a one-two for the owners.

"I kicked early and the horse showed his class," Dettori told Jour de Galop's Franco Raimondi. "The last 40 metres seemed a lot longer to me than to Vero Atleta. Finally the post came and I could celebrate victory with the colt's entourage and with the Italian fans, who have supported me throughout my career.

"I think he'll stay further and he'll now line up in the Derby."

Knowing of Dettori's desire to win the Parioli once before retiring at the end of the season and without the services of Antonio Fresu, who has headed to the US in search of more career opportunities, Grizzetti turned to his country's most famous racing son.

Dettori has made no secret of his desire to fill in some of the few remaining omissions on his glittering roll of honour before he draws down the curtain on his riding career in November.

After a fruitful spell riding through the winter season at Santa Anita – the venue for this year's Breeders' Cup – Dettori returned to Europe in time for the Craven meeting last month.

Dettori is looking more than ever to concentrate on the big days in his final season and had been booked to ride the Fabrice Chappet-trained Onesto in last Sunday's blockbuster Prix Ganay before he was withdrawn on account of the ground.

He can look forward to plum rides aboard Chaldean and Lezoo in the Qipco-sponsored 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket this weekend, races he has won three and four times respectively.

Qipco 2,000 Guineas (Newmarket, Saturday, May 6)

Coral: 7-4 Auguste Rodin, 9-2 Little Big Bear, 6 Chaldean, Sakheer, 8 Royal Scotsman, 10 Silver Knott, 18 Noble Style, 18 Indestructible, 20 bar

Read these next:

'One of those unfortunate things' - disaster for Frankie Dettori as Chaldean unseats rider 

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

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