'He's arguably the greatest of all time' - Dettori called up for Derby favourite

Frankie Dettori has been handed a glorious opportunity to land a third Investec Derby next month after he was snapped up for the ride on ante-post favourite English King, with Tom Marquand to miss what was to be his first ride in the Derby.

Trained by Ed Walker, English King jumped to the head of the Derby market following a runaway victory this month in the Lingfield Derby Trial – the same race Anthony Van Dyck won before going on to score at Epsom last season.

English King was ridden to victory that day by Marquand – who had been hoping to have his first ride in an Epsom Classic – but on Monday Walker instead called upon the experience of Dettori for Bjorn Nielsen's runner in order to give connections "the best possible chance".

Nielsen also owns Stradivarius, the star stayer who won a third Gold Cup under Dettori at Royal Ascot last week.

Watch: English King's impressive Lingfield Derby Trial win

Of his decision, Walker said: "Tom is a huge talent and a very promising young jockey who, I've got no doubt, will be competing at the highest level for a long time. But at this stage he's not quite at the level that Frankie is, especially when it comes to the big day. Frankie has experience, knowledge and understanding of these races like nobody else.

"I told Tom after Lingfield that 'Frankie is your only threat' and what odds would you have that Frankie wouldn't have a ride for John Gosden in the Derby? It's a real tough one for Tom but he's taken it like I expected for a young man with his intelligence. He understands and he'll continue to ride a lot for us in the future, and maybe on this horse again in the future."

The trainer added: "It's going to be my first runner in the Derby and it'll be a big nerve-settler for me having Frankie on board. He's certainly the best I've seen and arguably the greatest jockey of all time, especially on the big stage. After all, my job is to give my clients – in this case Bjorn Nielsen – the best possible chance of winning the race."

English King, a son of Camelot, has won two of his three starts and was initially cut to 6-1 following that comfortable two-and-three-quarter-length win at Lingfield under Marquand.

His Derby Trial was the quickest in 30 years, faster than 1998 winner High-Rise, who then took the Derby on his next start.

English King: recorded a fast time when winning the Lingfield Derby Trial this monthCredit: Getty Images

The day he won, Dettori was riding Stradivarius to finish third in the Coronation Cup at Newmarket.

English King has continued to attract attention in the betting and on Monday was as short as 11-4 for Classic glory at the meeting, which will be held behind closed doors.

"He's been great since Lingfield and the timing has worked out perfectly," added Walker. "It may not have looked it but he had a hard race – you don't break a 30-year record without giving it 110 per cent. We've had loads of time to freshen him up and he's come out of the race great.

"I'm super happy with him, I wouldn't swap him for any other horse in the race. I always vowed I'd never run a horse in the Derby unless I thought they had a genuine chance and I think this horse is up to it. If we have a good prep, which I think we have had so far, he's got the best jockey in the world and if he's good enough, he'll win. We're in a happy, confident position at the moment."

English King will be Walker's first runner in the Derby and he will be hoping Dettori can emulate his triumphs on Authorized in 2007 and Golden Horn in 2015. The second success came for Gosden, who may have used Dettori but does not have a standout contender for this year's Derby.

St James's Palace Stakes winner Palace Pier is still quoted by some bookmakers for the race but Gosden said he would be heading for the Prix Jacques le Marois. Mishriff, the winner of a Listed race at Newmarket this month, is the shortest-priced of his other possibles at a general 20-1.

The last time Dettori rode a Derby favourite, he finished third aboard Cracksman in 2017.

Why Dettori is still the go-to man

Frankie Dettori may be fast approaching his 50th birthday, but he is still the go-to man, a point emphasised again by his booking on Derby favourite English King.

Frankie Dettori: the man for the big occasionCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

It is worth acknowledging that this move was always plausible, given Dettori and English King’s owner Bjorn Nielsen have combined before for so many big triumphs, largely with Stradivarius, while the jockey's main ally John Gosden does not have a standout Derby contender this year.

The decision of English King’s connections to snap up Dettori less than two weeks before the Derby on July 4 is therefore logically sound. The 49-year-old, who left the royal meeting as top jockey with six winners, continues to prove time and time again that his pulling power dwarfs that of anyone else, inside the weighing room or out of it.

Few handle the big occasion better than Dettori, and even fewer are left celebrating regularly afterwards. And there are few bigger occasions than Epsom and the Derby.

For all that it is a blow for Tom Marquand, one of the rising stars of the weighing room and faultless on the two occasions he has partnered English King, Epsom glory is prominent on Dettori’s remarkable CV. He has two Derby wins on Authorized and Golden Horn and five in the Oaks, including on the outstanding Enable and last year’s winner Anapurna.

Epsom is a unique course and often requires a unique talent in the saddle to conquer its challenges. Ultimately they do not come more unique than Frankie.
Matt Butler

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