John Gosden compared his brief falling-out with Frankie Dettori this year to a football manager benching a star player after trainer and jockey combined to win the £500,000 Ebor Handicap at York on Saturday, and Dettori’s memorable ride on Trawlerman was the rough equivalent of a solo run and strike by a centre-forward whose confidence is restored after a lean spell.
Dettori took a bold approach to Trawlerman’s wide draw in stall 20, galloping alone and in a clear lead towards the far rail as his 19 opponents sorted themselves out on the inside. He eventually edged across as they turned out of the back, but his carefully worked plan had apparently been to little avail as the well-fancied Earl Of Tyrone edged ahead two furlongs out with Alfred Boucher, a winner on Wednesday’s card, also gaining ground.
