Frankie Dettori Faces Ban and Misses Out on Coral-Eclipse Ride After Royal Ascot Nightmare on King Charles’ Horse

In a major setback for renowned jockey Frankie Dettori, he has been handed a nine-day ban following an incident at Royal Ascot. Dettori’s careless riding on King Charles’ horse Saga during the Wolferton Stakes on the first day of the event led to the penalty. Unfortunately, this means that Dettori, who is in his final season in the saddle, will be unable to ride the 9-4 Coral-Eclipse favorite, Emily Upjohn.

The ban, which is effective from July 4 to 12, coincides with the Sandown blockbuster on July 8, further compounding Dettori’s disappointment. Earlier this month, he celebrated a victory aboard the John Gosden-trained filly in the Group One Coronation Cup at Epsom, highlighting his recent success.

The incident at Ascot involved Dettori’s maneuver causing a rival horse to become severely unbalanced as he cut inside during the initial stages of the Listed race. James McDonald on Cadillac was forced to take a significant check, which subsequently led to Ben Curtis performing a severe check on Certain Lad, as reported by the raceday stewards. David Probert also had to steady Notre Belle Bette, resulting in the chances of three horses being compromised due to Dettori’s actions.

However, amidst the disappointment, there is a silver lining for the 52-year-old jockey. He will be available for the July Cup, the only Group One race he is yet to win in his illustrious career. Dettori’s ban will conclude a day before the three-day July festival at Newmarket commences, providing him with an opportunity to compete in the highly anticipated event.

The ban serves as the culmination of a highly frustrating first day at the Royal Ascot for Dettori. Despite riding in five races, he failed to secure a single victory, finishing second on three occasions and facing the withdrawal of another intended mount. Dettori narrowly missed out on victory in the opening Queen Anne Stakes, losing by a neck to 33-1 outsider Triple Time, while the favorite Chaldean was defeated by Paddington in the St James’ Palace Stakes. In his other rides, Absurde managed to finish within seven-and-a-half lengths of the runaway Copper Horse Handicap winner Vauban, while Givemethebeatboys, purchased for £1.1 million the night before the race, settled for fourth place. Tragically, Saga, the horse involved in the incident leading to Dettori’s ban, finished in fifth position.

Overall, this setback at Royal Ascot has cast a shadow over Frankie Dettori’s final season, but he will undoubtedly strive to make a triumphant comeback in the remaining races of his career.