Dettori's French hopes dashed

Graham Cunningham13 April 2012

Frankie Dettori has lost his race to be fit to partner Sakhee at Deauville this Saturday after taking a turn for the worse with a bout of chicken pox.

The Italian, laid low since Monday after his children Leo and Ella passed the virus on to him, was hoping to recover in time to partner last year's runaway Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero for Godolphin in the Prix Gontaut-Biron.

However, Godolphin racingmanager Simon Crisford said today that Richard Hills will now be aboard the star five-yearold in a race viewed as the ideal springboard for a campaign centred around making him the first horse to win back-to-back Arcs since Alleged in 1978.

He said: "Frankie told me on Tuesday night that he was confident of being fit for Saturday, but he phoned again first thing this morning to say that he'd had a terrible night and that I wouldn't recognise him at present."

Sakhee did what Crisford described as "a swinging canter" on the Newmarket gallops this morning and will have the assistance of stablemate Sydenham as pacemaker on his first outing since his surprise defeat in the Dubai World Cup in March.

Crisford added: "Sakhee missed the King George when the ground dried out, but he needs to be mentally focussed for the big autumn tests and Saturday's race could have been written for him to prepare for the Irish Champion Stakes and then the Arc.

"I would expect to see him produce a solid rather than a devastating performance at Deauville, but he seems in great form and we're all looking forward to seeing him back in action again."

Schedules permitting, Saturday's race will provide one of the highlights of a 10-race bonanza on the BBC in which full coverage of Ascot's Shergar Cup will be shown as will three strong races from Haydock.

Godolphin's Naheef had been pencilled in for the Petros Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock, but Crisford said that the 2,000 Guineas and Derby disappointment will miss the Group Three contest if the ground remains soft.

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