Frankie Dettori’s capacity for a Hollywood flourish means no one will be surprised if his Breeders’ Cup swansong sees one of the 54-year-old’s handful of Del Mar rides this weekend provide a fairytale finish to one of the great racing careers. But US racing’s biggest meeting might also provide a landmark for Irish riders at the other end of the career span.
Ireland’s new champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle rides in all three turf contests on Friday night, when the first five of 14 Grade One races worth over $34 million are run.
A first Breeders’ Cup success would cap a breakout season for the 22-year-old from Donegal, while another former champion apprentice, Gavin Ryan, 25, has a shot at the same feat with both men lining up in the first contest, the Juvenile Turf Sprint, due off at 9.45pm Irish time.
McMonagle is on Mission Central, one of an Aidan O’Brien trio, in a race the trainer has never won before. The Ballydoyle maestro is on the verge of becoming the most successful Breeders’ Cup trainer of all, his tally of 20 winners one ahead of Bob Baffert, and level with the late D Wayne Lukas.
RM Block
Wayne Lordan rides his big hope True Love, while Christophe Soumillon is on Brussels, although if O’Brien Snr can’t win, he could still shout home his son Donnacha’s big hope, Havana Anna. She’s ridden by Ryan, and has just three parts of a length to make up on True Love on Cheveley Park form. She may be ideally suited by the drop back to five furlongs.
Joseph O’Brien and Browne McMonagle team up for Queen Of Hawaii in the Juvenile Fillies on turf (11.05pm) and North Coast in the Juvenile Turf, off at 12.25am. Donnacha O’Brien will also leg up Oisín Murphy on Balantina in the fillies’ event.
However, much of the focus in both two-year-old contests will be on Soumillon and how the Belgian rider tries to navigate his way out of a pair of nightmare car park draws. Both the colt Gstaad and dual Group One winner Precise are marooned widest of all around a famously tight track, where making up ground from the rear can often come down to luck.
Admittedly, Henri Matisse made light of a similar slot last year to become O’Brien’s seventh winner of the colts’ race. But he was good enough to subsequently win a French Guineas. Both big Irish hopes have already proven themselves top-drawer. Precise, in particular, has had her trainer comparing her to an outstanding talent like Minding.
But Soumillon, who has never ridden at Del Mar, and whose single Breeders’ Cup win was all of 20 years ago, could do little wrong and still know his fate by the first bend.
Irish interest on Saturday’s card will include the Adrian Murray pair Arizona Blaze and Bucanero Fuerte lining up in the Turf Sprint, while Soumillon will be riding at his lightest for well over a year to make the weight on Minnie Hauk in the Turf.
Dettori will ride in both those races and the Italian will relish any shot at a 16th Breeders’ Cup success following his announcement this will be his last time riding in the US. Having made a similar announcement in Britain two years ago, the Italian plans to ride in a number of races in South America before bringing his stellar career to a final halt.
He has already been snapped up as a ‘global brand ambassador’ for the expanding AMO Racing operation. Headed by Kia Joorabchian, AMO supplied Dettori with King Of Steel to win the Champion Stakes on his final ride in Britain in 2023.
