Frankie Dettori bags £9 million Dubai World Cup on Country Grammer for under-fire trainer Bob Baffert

FRANKIE produced another Hollywood moment when snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in the Dubai World Cup.

No-one outperforms Dettori on the big stage, and he produced a masterclass under the bright lights at Meydan on Country Grammer.

Reuters

Country Grammer led close home to win the Dubai World Cup at Meydan[/caption]

Reuters

Dettori performed his trademark flying dismount after the race[/caption]

The Italian, 51, was pushing his horse along from virtually the word ‘go’ but somehow lifted him home to bag the £9 million race.

It completed a big, Dettori double in Dubai, after John Gosden’s Lord North had earlier dead-heated with Japanese horse Panthalassa in the Turf.

The most lucrative leg of the pair never looked likely at any stage, as the hot favourite Life Is Good bowled along in an easy lead.

It was a miracle that Dettori hadn’t run out of puff by the time they reached the home straight, as he was pushing and shoving at his horse from miles out.

But he is still as fit as a butcher’s dog and sensed the long-time leader was coming to the end of his tether with the winning pole in sight.

He threw the kitchen sink at Country Grammer and the horse surged ahead in the final strides to give the top jock his fourth win in the race – 22 years after his first.

Dettori said: “It was so surreal when I hit the furlong pole and I knew I was going to win.

“I had to work hard but it is an amazing feeling, to have the crowd back and on my side is amazing.

“Bob is a great friend of mine, I’m so happy. I feel like I could keep going ’til I’m 80!”

Dettori and his boss Gosden were just as thrilled to win back-to-back Dubai Turf’s on Lord North, who almost died last year after picking up a nasty throat infection.

Gosden said: “We got ourselves in a Japanese sandwich at one stage, so we are thrilled with the result.

“We are over the moon with him, he had a very nasty throat infection last year but he is back and Frankie gave him a great ride.”

If only we could leave it there and focus purely on the force of nature that is Dettori.

But there was something of a bitter taste in the mouth at the Dubai World Cup result, with the horse trained by under-fire Bob Baffert. 

The US Hall Of Famer is currently banned from having runners in both Kentucky and New York after several of his horses failed drugs tests.

Among the big names to have tested positive for banned substances from Baffert’s yard was last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit, who sadly died of a suspected heart attack in December.

Baffert has strongly denied doping his runners, but he has not been able to clear his name in disciplinary hearings this year.

Elsewhere on the glittering card, Japanese runners continued their bid for world domination when sweeping to victory in five races.

After conquering America at the Breeders’ Cup, they’ve now taken the Middle East by storm after brilliant results in Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

But this is still Frankie’s world, we are just living in it.

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