Frankie Dettori returns to haunt Kieran Shoemark in Emily Upjohn’s final race of her career
GIVEN it’s nearly Halloween, I suppose it is no surprise Frankie Dettori has come back to haunt Kieran Shoemark.
As exclusively revealed in your Sunracing Favourite pullout on Wednesday, the legendary former No1 to John Gosden has been confirmed as the rider of Emily Upjohn at the Breeders’ Cup a week today.
The five-year-old will take on the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar — the race before City Of Troy struts his stuff in the Classic — and it will be last race of her career.
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On the face of it, it is another kick in the teeth for Shoemark but he will cope stoically, as he has done all season.
Taking over as Clarehaven’s No1 from Frankie — and winning race fans and pundits over — was always going to be mission impossible.
Shoemark knew that, of course, and he also had to deal with a period in the season when, as Gosden admitted, the horses weren’t running well.
Things have been brighter for Gosden and Shoemark in the last couple of months though.
The jockey gave Friendly Soul a peach of a ride to win the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp on Arc weekend — his first top-level win since getting the No1 role.
As you know, I have been a big supporter of Shoemark this season — even more so in the light of the criticism the rider has come in for from punters and pundits.
I believe most of the sledging of Shoemark — both in print and on social media — has been totally unjustified and it has been good to see the straight bat and solid front-foot defence of his jockey by gaffer Gosden.
That said, I can, of course, see why the owners of Emily Upjohn — including music mogul Andrew Lloyd Webber — have opted to put Frankie up on the filly.
After all, the last time Emily Upjohn won a race was in June last year when she galloped clear of Westover in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom with Frankie on her back.
Since then she has been winless under Shoemark in six runs but, despite that, has put up two of her best efforts in her career.
They include a second to Bluestocking in the Group 1 Pretty Polly in Ireland — which, in hindsight, was a swashbuckling Shoemark ride — and third to the same horse and Aventure in the Prix Vermeille.
That pair went on to be the one-two in the Arc de Triomphe.
The reasoning behind the decision to jock Shoemark off in favour of Frankie must surely be based on Breeders’ Cup experience and his track knowledge.
He is very familiar with the tight course at Del Mar, having quit the UK for America last Christmas.
And, at the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita last season, Frankie gave Emily Upjohn’s stable companion and the now-retired Inspiral a belting come-from-behind ride to win the Filly & Mare Turf.
It was the last time Frankie rode for Gosden — and a 16th Breeders’ Cup winner for the Italian down the years.
Gosden said: “Frankie rides Emily Upjohn. Obviously he is over there riding at the moment and knows the Del Mar track very well. He also knows the filly very well.”
He’s not wrong, of course.
But the brief and to-the-point statement suggests Gosden would have been more than happy to have kept Shoemark on board.
Whatever the ins ‘n outs and rights ’n wrongs of the decision the fact Frankie and Gosden will be reunited is a boost for ITV ratings.
The team are covering the meeting with a two-hour show, starting at 8pm.
As well as the challenge of Derby superstar City Of Troy to be a dirt devil in the Breeders Cup Classic, Frankie’s ride on Emily Upjohn will now hog the headlines.
I wish Emily Upjohn’s connection well and I hope she goes well — I just wish the owners had kept faith with Shoemark to get the job done.
If the horse is good enough, so is he.
I’m not part of the ITV team at Del Mar but I will still be bringing you all the best news and features on Attheraces not to mention giving you my views in this column next Saturday too.
One thing’s for sure, we will be going City Of Troy crazy!
As for today’s racing I know it’s Cheltenham but there is also the small matter of a Group 1 to be decided at Doncaster and Shoemark has a chance of a second top-level win for Gosden on Detain in the Futurity.
The market will be headed by recent Royal Lodge winner Wimbledon Hawkeye.
Aidan O’Brien saddles Delacroix, who looked good when winning the Group 3 Autumn Stakes last time.
He will be strongly fancied as the Ballydoyle maestro tries to land the prize for an incredible 12th time.
Detain is related to his useful stablemate Arrest who loves the mud, so he should go on the expected juicy surface, even though he has impressed on a quick all-weather surface the last twice.
The consistent and experienced Beresford Stakes hero Hotazhell and Godolphin’s unbeaten Anno Domini also add spice to a cracking race.
The latter looked very useful at Sandown when beating Windlord, while the former has had rock-solid form throughout the season.
All that said, the one I like is ROYAL PLAYWRIGHT (2.40). He will probably be the outsider of the field, but I’ll be stunned if he finishes last for Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy.
The Solario third went on to chase home Wimbledon Hawkeye at Newmarket and I was of the opinion the well-bred colt didn’t enjoy the undulations of the Rowley Mile.
He kept on well to finish second and these underfoot conditions are ideal.
I have to have a few quid on for the team who won this with Kameko. Let’s hope the Playwright has read the script! Yeeehaaa!
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