Dettori quickly off the mark
Having flown home from Dubai on Sunday, the Italian wasted no time in getting down to work as he travelled to Lingfield for a full book of rides on the regional racing circuit.
And although he managed only one winner, the ever-professional Dettori was still delighted after guiding the 4-6 favourite home by five lengths in the Bet Direct on Sky Active Claiming Stakes.
"I'm unbeaten on him that's four from four!" he said. "He has saved the day for me."
Despite being 11 years of age, the John Spearing-trained winner retains all of his enthusiasm for the job and was clocking up the 11th winner of his career a figure made more remarkable by the fact that six of them came last year when he was 10.
Jockey Martin Dwyer endured a less-successful day when he was stood down by the racecourse doctor after being thrown from Silent Angel when the filly was in the paddock before the start of the Littlewoods Bet Direct Banded Stakes.
In France, American legend Gary Stevens was out of luck on his first day riding as first jockey to Andre Fabre at Maisons-Laffitte yesterday.
Stevens kicked off his French connection in ignominious fashion when he was thrown at the start from Mountain Top in the opening sprint.
The jockey, who has put a budding film career on hold to ride for the French master, dusted himself down for the next, the Prix El Mina, where he was on board Russian Beauty, owned by France Galop president Edouard de Rothschild.
He had a slightly happier time of it but could still only manage second behind Fabre's other filly, Linguist.
Stevens, the first American to be based in France since Cash Asmussen, is in action again at Saint-Cloud tomorrow on a card that features the three-year-old debut of Criquette Head's Racing Post Trophy winner, American Post.
Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, went down fighting under Seb Sanders in his bid to win his second French Listed race in the space of four days.
Sir Mark Prescott's six-year-old finished a battling third to Le Carre in the Prix Right Royal.
Mark Johnston has an increased team for Hamdan Al Maktoum this year and he sent out Etmaam to win in convincing fashion in the Sharp Minds Betfair Maiden Stakes at Newcastle.
It took a while for Etmaam to shake off Henndey, but the 10-11 shot did so with 100 yards to run and he stretched away to beat him by two lengths with High Cane who raced on the opposite side of the course, third best, beaten another one and a three quarters lengths.
Johnston's wife Deirdre said: "I was keen to come today. I have been raring to go for the start of the turf season.
"We did not know if Etmaam would handle the ground, it is quite sticky, but he seemed to and he was going all his best work in the closing stages."
Mrs Johnston went on: "We have four horses for Sheikh Hamdan last year, but we have Bandari and another 10 this season, they are lovely horses and it is nice to make a winning start for him."
The stable's plans for the UlitmateBet.com 2000 Guineas have not been finalised yet, and Mrs Johnston added: "I am not sure what will happen, but I rode Pearl Of Love this morning and he is really buzzing."
Acceleration (25-1) proved too quick for his rivals under Paul Hanagan in the Putter And Flutter Handicap, beating Magic Combination by two lengths and trainer Dick Allan is hoping for better things to come.
Tara Tara (10-1) caused an upset when gaining a last-gasp success under Robert Winston in the European Breeders Fund Maiden Stakes.
But the John Quinn-trained filly would have been a desperately unlucky loser because, full of running she had a wall of horses in front of her and had all sorts of trouble finding a clear run.
Winston finally found daylight just in time and to her credit she quickened up in good style and got up close home to beat the 6-5 favourite, the Sheikh Mohammed-owned Stanbury, by a neck.
David Nicholls pulled off a one-two in the Saltwell Signs Claiming Stakes with American Cousin (10-1) and with his son Adrian on board, and Speedy James (25-1) in the six-furlong dash.
Philip Robinson, fresh from his double success, including the Freephone Stanley Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday, continued in the winning vein on Ofaraby in the Gary Robson Memorial Stakes.
