'We were second best' - Kelina springs 22-1 shock to deny Frankie Dettori and Kinross in the Prix de la Foret

Frankie Dettori’s final ride on Arc day ended in frustration after Kinross finished second in the Prix de la Foret and the jockey’s objection against the winner, Kelina, was dismissed by stewards.

A furious Dettori stated his intention to appeal against the result after Kelina drifted across Kinross in the closing stages of the 7f Group 1, denying the soon-to-retire jockey a clear run for a few moments.

However, the interference was not deemed to have had any impact on the result and Dettori ended his final Arc meeting before his planned retirement without a winner.

Ralph Beckett, who trains Kinross for owner Marc Chan, said: “We were second best, simple as that.”

Kinross, winner of the Prix de la Foret last year, was sent off the odds-on favourite to land the race for a second time and raced towards the rear of the field before being brought through to mount his challenge with a couple of furlongs to go.

However, Kelina travelled notably well alongside Kinross and edged in front of him with a furlong and a half to run. The filly shifted right under jockey Maxime Guyon but ran on powerfully to the line and was a decisive winner for owners Alain and Gerard Wertheimer and trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias.

"In the Prix du Moulin, Kelina wasn’t well drawn and virtually didn’t have a race so perhaps freshness was a help," said Laffon-Parias. "But today she had her ground and that changed everything.

"When we were not sure whether it would turn soft here or not, we also had an invite to go to Keeneland for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

"We accepted, but then having discussed it with Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, we decided to stay in France and it turned out to be the right choice."

A beautifully-bred daughter of Frankel, Kelina will be a prized addition to the Wertheimers' broodmare band, although racing manager Pierre-Yves Bureau didn't rule out further racecourse targets.

"We’ll discuss the future with the owners, but if there is an obvious race left for her this year it’s the Breeders’ Cup Mile," said Bureau. "And, who knows, she might stay in training next year if Carlos feels she is still in good form."

Kinross finished second with Shouldvebeenaring, the Haydock Sprint Cup runner-up, finishing third for trainer Richard Hannon and jockey Sean Levey, who earlier combined to win the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere with Rosallion.

Read these next:

Favourite Ace Impact extends unbeaten streak with brilliant Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe performance  

'It shows how tough she is' - Highfield Princess defies wide draw to get back on top  

'It was a very strong performance' - Opera Singer has connections dreaming of Classic glory after routing rivals  

'I was always going to win today' - Rosallion team eye next year's 2,000 Guineas after breakthrough top-level win  

'It's incredible' - Blue Rose Cen denies Jackie Oh in thrilling finish to claim her third Group 1 win of the season  

The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.