Victoria Cup strike puts happy Benoit de la Sayette back in the spotlight

Saturday: Ascot

Everything turned upside down in only three days for jockey Benoit de la Sayette the last time he showcased his prodigious talent when capturing one of British racing’s major Flat handicaps.

He announced himself to the wider racing public in style that day at Doncaster, guiding Haqeeqy to victory in last year’s Lincoln on what was the youngster’s first ride on turf. Then the roof fell in.

A video circulated in the subsequent days showing De La Sayette at a party where cocaine was present and he went on to test positive for metabolites of the drug, leading to a six-month suspension of his licence.

However, under the guidance of his parents and trainers John and Thady Gosden, to whom he is apprenticed, De La Sayette has navigated his difficulties and he returned to the limelight with victory aboard Vafortino in the Victoria Cup on a glorious spring day at Ascot.

“What a horse,” he said. “He has a big heart and a big will to win and he ran all the way to the line – I don’t think you can ask for any more than that.

“To win this race is amazing and to get the chance to have another crack at a race like this is what dreams are made of. My bosses have been amazing during my time off and everyone at the yard has looked after me and supported me. They wanted to help and to make sure that I learned more and more.

“My parents have been there all the way and if it wasn’t for them I don’t know where I’d be – it’s all down to them.”

Runners leave the stalls for the Victoria Cup, won by VafortinoCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

De La Sayette barely had time to savour his Lincoln success before he was plunged into an unwanted spotlight but he was not content to dwell on this victory.

“When I won the Lincoln and it was the first time I had won a race like that it was something special and something that you’ll never forget,” he said.

“It’s not like this is a big celebration, or a chance to get over what happened before. What I want to do is to keep riding winners and I want to look to the future. I let a lot of people down with what happened last year and I just wanted to work as hard as I could to prove to the people around me what this job means to me.”

De La Sayette carried the colours of owners Nicola Veronese and Gilberto Gambini to victory and was completing a 135-1 double for Kevin Philippart de Foy.

The Newmarket trainer also saddled Juan De Montalban to success in the 1m4f handicap for owner Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah and said: “We want to step up to another level with our yard and you need the horses and the owners to do that as that brings the quality.

"The sheikh flew in to see this horse run today and he will be back for Royal Ascot, so we’ll look at something like the Duke of Edinburgh there.”

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The Front Runner is our latest 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