Frankie Dettori has bookmakers braced for a bashing ahead of the superstar jockey’s final appearance in the Derby.
The hugely popular Italian will retire from the saddle at the end of the Flat season and will take one more shot at winning the £1.5 million Epsom Classic, Britain’s richest horse race.
And having replaced the legendary Lester Piggott as the ‘housewives' choice’, Dettori’s mount Arrest is expected to attract the lion's share of once-a-year bets.
Arrest, trained by John and Thady Gosden, underlined his status with victory in the Chester Vase in May and the colt’s odds have been shortening as the big race gets nearer.
“There is already plenty of momentum around Frankie Dettori, with Arrest well-backed from 6-1 into 9-2,” said William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps.
“If he has a good day on Friday, we can really see punters getting stuck into Arrest in the Derby betting and, if that were to happen, there’s a very good chance he’ll start as favourite in what will be Dettori’s final Derby ride.”
Coral has been forced to take the same action and expect the 'Frankie factor' to ensure the colt challenges current market leader, Auguste Rodin, for favouritism.
"Victory at Chester last month saw Arrest emerge as Frankie Dettori's likely final Derby mount, and as a result the combination always had the potential to be sent off favourite for the race, with an impressive trial success paired with the most popular jockey of his generation," said Coral's David Stevens.
"While Auguste Rodin remains the market leader for now, there has been support for Arrest in the last 24 hours, and with Frankie's name likely to ensure plenty of backing on the big day, it would be no surprise to see his mount sent off favourite, and if he becomes the Italian's third Derby winner, it's sure to be a costly result for the layers.”
This year’s event takes place ahead of the first FA Cup final to feature Manchester United and Manchester City on Saturday.
Stevens said: "The Derby is the biggest betting race of the Flat season, and third only to the Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup overall, while the FA Cup Final is always one of the biggest football matches of the year in terms of betting turnover.
"The Derby is going off much earlier than usual because of the football, but it still forms a huge part of a massive sporting Saturday, and as a result we're confident turnover on the race won't be unduly impacted.”
