John Gosden and Frankie Dettori© Photo Healy Racing
Frankie Dettori was delighted to be reunited with Emily Upjohn at Del Mar on Wednesday and insisted it is “all systems go” ahead of the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Saturday.
The Italian steered John and Thady Gosden’s mare to two Group One victories before relocating to America, including her most recent triumph in last year’s Coronation Cup at Epsom.
Kieran Shoemark has been in the saddle for a series of consistent placed efforts this season, with Emily Upjohn chasing home subsequent Arc first and second Bluestocking and Aventure in the Prix Vermeille.
But Dettori’s vast experience of American racing prompted his Breeders’ Cup recall and the pair were back together again for a workout.
The 53-year-old said: “It’s a new challenge for me out here and I’m really enjoying it. It’s gone better than I thought, while being over 50 in America is well accepted – look at Mike Smith, he’s 58 and still going strong.
“My filly has been round Epsom and John decided to keep her going and she’s been super consistent.
“She’s had a good look around on the turf today and we’ll probably do a little bit more tomorrow and try to inject some speed into her, but she was very relaxed, that’s the good thing.
“Just looking at the new scenery for this morning was the most important thing.
“Today was just a very routine canter round – tomorrow, like I said, we’ll get her to go a bit faster, to get her leads correctly, use her left and her right, as you need to do on these tight tracks.
“But she seems in a good place with her mind and that’s the most important thing really at this stage.
“It’s nice to be back on her, we won a couple of Grade Ones together, just got pipped in the Oaks, she’s a super filly, she comes there with good credentials and she’s very honest in every race she has run in.
“It’s all systems go for Saturday, she’s travelled well and is in a good place.”
John Gosden said: “It’s great to be back in our old hunting ground. She had a leisurely look at the track this morning and will do a bit more tomorrow.
“The ground went against her a couple of times this year. There was a lot of rain in Ireland but she ran well in the Vermeille when it was soft.
“This is a very tight track with a very short straight but her first ever run was at Wolverhampton, so we know she can handle it, and I think she has a decent draw (stall two).
“The pace of the race is important. If they are walking, you want to be handy, while if they are trapping, you can sit on her, she’s versatile like that.
“Frankie is in very good form and enjoys it here. He was finding the day-to-day stuff in England too much. Jockeys don’t ride every day here and it’s not like the UK, where the workload on jockeys is much too hard.
“They can’t sweat (use saunas) at the races anymore and I feel they have a very tough time of it. It’s a much better lifestyle if you can get the rides out here.”
Reflecting on the decision to go up against the boys rather than stick with her own sex in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Gosden added: “This filly needs every inch of a mile and a half.
“The starting stalls are not too close to the home bend and her form going into the race is solid.
“There’s a good Japanese horse in the field and good horses from Ireland, but you have to play to your strengths and she’s a five-year-old filly getting 3lb.
“It’s the configuration of this track and the distance of the race that convinced us that we needed to be going for the Turf.”
Among strong opposition to Emily Upjohn will be Brian Meehan’s Royal Ascot winner Jayarebe, who was last seen landing the Prix Dollar at the Arc meeting.
Meehan, who knows what it takes to win the Turf, having scored with Red Rocks (2006) and Dangerous Midge (2010), said: “Today was his first time on the track and there were moments when he was both high and relaxed.
“We deliberately got him out early when it wasn’t busy and he got to know his pony. The pony is strange to them initially and is a little bit of a challenge when he stays with them on the lead.
“We have 60 horses and trying to to play at the high level whenever we can. It’s a big testament to the yard that we have two runners and I think Kathmandu will go very well in the Goldikova (Stakes, on Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup undercard).
“She’s a beautiful filly and Group One class, it’s the right race for her.”
