Dettori basks in glory

A relaxed Frankie Dettori was basking in the French sunshine today after breaking his Vodafone Derby duck at the 15th attempt at Epsom on Saturday.

The 36-year-old arrived at Chantilly racecourse near Paris with an ice cream ahead of the Prix du Jockey-Club, having celebrated until the small hours with trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam following the scintillating victory of Authorized.

He said: "I am enjoying the moment. I don't know where the horse is, what he is doing, or what Peter is doing, I am just enjoying myself.

"I went to the pub and had a few drinks with Peter and the lads last night. My wife put me in a taxi about 1.30am.

"My stepmother (Christine) then gave me a telling off this morning for coming back late!

"I still haven't found time for a good cry - there has been too much laughter.

"The track gave me a DVD of the race. It isn't working, but I have seen the race again on the racing channels and it was great.

"I didn't dare look round at the finish, but I knew nobody was going to get by.

"I hit the front and all I could see was a sea of people, all screaming at me.

"It is hard to explain really, and even after the race I don't remember that much as I was in my own world.

"I was tired as it had been a long two weeks, but the win lived up to expectations.

"Martin Dwyer was ringing me and he kept winding me up all week after winning the year before, but I didn't get much of a chance to see the lads after the race as I was taken off to the press conference. That is the only bit I feel I missed.

"When I switched my phone on after the race I had 86 messages and when it went over 100 it stopped taking messages!"

Dettori now has a burning ambition to win the great race for his boss Sheikh Mohammed, who was quick to grant him to permission to ride Authorized when it became apparent the Godolphin operation would not have a leading contender.

He added: "It was a great race, he is a good horse and I won the Derby. It would be fantastic to win it again and do it for Sheikh Mohammed."

Chapple-Hyam previously tasted domestic Classic glory in 1992 with Rodrigo De Triano in the 2000 Guineas and Dr Devious in the Derby.

But the 44-year-old admitted this latest victory topped either of those achievements.

He said: "It was the greatest day of my life - better than anything. It was so much better than winning the race the first time. I appreciated it much more this time.

"Everything went perfectly and it was the most relaxed I have been when I've had a big runner in a race because I knew Authorized would win.

"When Rodrigo De Triano and Dr Devious ran I was just so nervous and didn't know what was going to happen.

"But this horse gives me supreme confidence because he does everything so well and it was never in doubt.

"I was still relieved when he won and that he had proved to everyone - all the doubters - just how good he is.

"I have always believed in him. He travels so well and can quicken off a fast pace. It is an exceptional horse that can quicken like he does. He is the best horse I have ever trained in my life.

"Frankie wants to go for the Irish Derby next but we will see. We will sit down and think about that in a few days.

"I want to go for the Eclipse and at the backend I'd love to go for the Arc with this horse."

Senior British handicapper Phil Smith has awarded Authorized a rating of 126 - a figure that puts him on a par with 2001 and 2002 scorers Galileo and High Chaparral.

Smith said: "Basically, as it stands, his rating is as good as any Derby winner in the last 10 years."