Gold medal puts Frankie back on top
It was outlined that Dettori had been allowed to choose Colour Vision over Barzalona’s Opinion Poll by the Sheikh himself, and what must have proved a tricky decision was borne out in the staying championship with just half a length separating them.
While interference between the pair inside the final furlong would not have been deliberate, it was almost a literal display of fighting his corner as the celebrated Italian gave everything he had.
Dettori has seen both Barzalona and Silvestre de Sousa parachuted into the Godolphin operation this season and has increasingly found himself usurped by the French starlet, most notably when Barzalona donned the blue silks in the Oaks.
It was De Sousa who set the race up by leading aboard eventual fourth Gulf Of Naples but Dettori positioned Colour Vision (6-1) close behind and seemed to hold the cards in the home straight until Opinion Poll loomed alongside.
Colour Vision, with Mark Johnston last season and recent winner of the Sagaro Stakes, momentarily looked beaten but somehow found an extra ounce of energy as they dived for the line.
Dettori’s joy of a 46th Royal Ascot victory and a fifth in this historic the Group One seemed to be accentuated by the circumstances and the same could be said for trainer Saeed Bin Suroor, for so long a regular on this stage but seemingly marginalised by Opinion Poll’s trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni when new equine talent is being allocated.
“This is great, this was my best chance of the week and I had a very difficult decision to make between two great horses, two great warriors – and I finished off the best only by a short margin,” said Dettori, after the stewards left the placings unaltered following an inquiry.
John Oxx was frustrated Saddler’s Rock finished a neck behind in third and said: “It was a bit of a farce of a race from his point of view. He’s normally so relaxed and yet they went so slow he was just tugging the whole way round and would not drop the bit”.
Last year’s winner Fame And Glory, the 4-5 favourite, had a difficult passage when penned in on the rails but could only finish seventh. Trainer Aidan O’Brien said: “He has come back fine and seems to be fine after the race. It was an interesting race.”
