Frankie Dettori previews his rides for Champions Day

Ladbrokes ambassador Frankie Dettori talks about his rides at Ascot this Saturday and the Breeders Cup in his latest blog.

I start the day on Stradivarius in the Long Distance Cup. He has been a magnificent horse this year. He is a great stayer, he’s drawn well, and if he handles the conditions, then he will be there or thereabouts. Obviously the ground is a concern for us as his best ground is good-to-firm. However, he came third on similar ground last year and coped with it.

I ride Lah Ti Dar in the Fillies & Mares Stakes, although her draw isn’t ideal (10 of 11). She likes the give in the ground, she ran a great race in the St Leger and she will be very competitive here. That said, it’s no gimme as it looks quite a tough race.

I am riding Hey Gaman in the QEII. He likes soft ground but he’s got a few pounds to find on form with the likes of Roaring Lion and Recoletos. If we can get him in the first four, it will be a job well done.

There’s no Roaring Lion in the Champion Stakes, which makes life easier for me. Cracksman is in good form. He won the race last year and we have the blinkers on him to keep his concentration levels up. If the same Cracksman turns up from last year, he will be very hard to beat. He’s been off for a long time but we have been very pleased with his demeanour. It’s his last race and let’s hope he can do it.

On a side note, I am so excited that Enable is going to the Breeders Cup. I mean she has only run twice this year so she is a relatively fresh horse. When you showcase horses like Enable around the world, it is always a great pleasure to be part of it.

Frankie