Dettori Lands Final Gold Cup Aboard Courage Mon Ami

The Ascot Gold Cup is the pinnacle of Flat racing, and yet again it belongs to the most famous jockey, Frankie Dettori.

Day one had been tricky for the Italian but he rose to the occasion once more when winning aboard John & Thady Gosden’s, Courage Mon Ami, in his final Gold Cup. It gave the jockey his 79 Royal Ascot winners.

Stradivarius landed a hat-trick of Gold Cup’s in 2018, 2019 and 2020 for the Gosden/Dettori partnership, but this years renewal was all about the four-year-old unbeaten son of Frankel, Courage Mon Ami.

Charlie Johnston’s Gold Cup hero (2021) Subjectivist lead the field before being passed by Andrew Balding’s Coltrane who hit the front with Oisin Murphy on board. Dettori was held towards the back of the field but delivered an exquisite ride to head his rivals to land the big prize.

The jockey was riding in the race for the final time and was his ninth victory in the race with just the late great Lester Piggott ahead on 11.

Dettori is due to retire at the end of the 2023 season, with his last European racecourse appearance on QIPCO British Champions Day later this year.

This is what it’s all about

Frankie was full of praise for his mount, saying: “It’s unbelievable. I thought it was a bridge too far from handicaps to a Group 1 but it was the perfect race. This is what it’s all about.”

John Gosden said: “We didn’t know if he’d stay – you can’t practice two and a half miles at home – but Frankie stayed cool, kept him in the dark down on the inside and saved every inch. I saw he went to go outside in the straight and they all said no, go back in, but luckily he managed to wriggle through.

“It’s a great ride for Frankie and it crowns his week.”