Savethelastdance, a progeny of Galileo, has been the top pick for the fillies’ main event since her stellar performance at the Cheshire Oaks earlier this month. She now sets her sights on the 12-furlong race at Epsom, hoping to outperform her dam, Daddys Lil Darling, who was withdrawn in 2017 amidst a thunderstorm.
O’Brien is also counting on Be Happy and Red Riding Hood to extend his winning streak in the Friday extravaganza and notch his 11th Oaks victory. The primary contenders that pose a challenge to Savethelastdance are Running Lion, the Pretty Polly winner, and Musidora victor Soul Sister, both trained by John and Thady Gosden. Frankie Dettori will be in the saddle for Soul Sister in his swan song Oaks ride.
Eternal Hope, a supplementary entry and Lingfield trial victor, carries the aspirations of Charlie Appleby to clinch his first Oaks triumph. Heartache Tonight, under David Menuisier, is another noteworthy contender after her close fourth-place finish in the Prix Saint-Alary. Caernarfon, trained by Jack Channon and fourth-place finisher in the 1000 Guineas, is gearing up for a longer trip from a mile in her maiden appearance post-Newmarket. Maman Joon (Richard Hannon), Sea Of Roses (Andrew Balding), and Bright Diamond (Karl Burke) will also be taking to the mile-and-a-half start line on Friday afternoon.
Westover is set to revisit the Dahlbury Coronation Cup, another Group One event on the card, seeking redemption from his troubled Derby run last year. Ralph Beckett’s Frankel colt was a narrow loser to Desert Crown last year but redeemed himself in the Irish equivalent and comes fresh off a strong second-place finish in the Dubai Sheema Classic in March.
Emily Upjohn also returns to the fray after narrowly missing out on Classic success in 2022, having opened her Group One account in the fall. Hurricane Lane, representing Godolphin, aims to maintain his winning momentum after his stellar performance in the Jockey Club Stakes. Ballydoyle’s Point Lonsdale, unbeaten this season, will be racing the 12 furlongs for the first time, with Tunnes, an intriguing German entry, rounding off the elite field of five.
Last Oaks Race for Legendary Frankie Dettori
Spectators at the Betfair Oaks will have an opportunity to see Dettori in action for the last time as the 52-year-old has announced this will be his last season of racing.
Lanfranco ‘Frankie’ Dettori MBE is a renowned flat race jockey and one of the shining stars of international horse racing. Known for his charismatic personality, distinctive ‘flying dismounts,’ and polished dress sense, Dettori has gained global recognition and appreciation. Born in 1970 in Milan, he was inspired by his father, Gianfranco Dettori, a successful jockey in Italy who also had Classic wins in England. Frankie’s introduction to horse riding began at twelve when his father gifted him a Palomino pony. He dropped out of school at 13 to work as a stable boy, and at 15, he moved to England to join Luca Cumani’s Newmarket stable as an apprentice.
Dettori’s first win took place in Italy in 1986, and he achieved his initial British win at Goodwood in the following year. His talents quickly became apparent as he clinched the 1989 champion apprentice title in Britain and became the first teenager since Lester Piggott to ride a century of winners in a British season, with a total of 141 victories in 1990.
In 1993, he was appointed as the retained jockey for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Godolphin racing stables, one of the world’s most renowned international racing stables. He went on to ride 233 winners in 1994, securing his first of three British jockeys’ championships. Notably, on September 28, 1996, he won all seven of his races in a single day, a record never before achieved.
Dettori has amassed an impressive list of victories, including over 40 wins at Royal Ascot alone. His notable successes include the Ascot Gold Cup, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He has also won the Dubai World Cup for the Godolphin stable on three occasions – in 2000, 2003, and 2006. Out of approximately 1,000 races each year, he typically wins around 200. In addition to his illustrious career in horse racing, Dettori has ventured into other areas.
He has become an after-dinner speaker and fulfilled one of his dreams by co-owning a top Italian restaurant chain, Frankie’s Bar and Grill, with renowned chef Marco Pierre White. He has also released a cookbook and launched a line of frozen Italian foods. He’s well-known for frequently appearing on the TV show ‘A Question of Sport’.
