Frankie Dettori teamed up again with Atlantis Prince, the horse that provided him with an emotional comeback victory last month, to clinch a sparkling double at Ascot today.
He guided the colt to an all-the-way victory in the Serpentine Gallery Royal Lodge Stakes, the feature race on the second day of the Festival meeting at the Royal racecourse.
Atlantis Prince, stretching his unbeaten record to four, was the Italian ace`s first ride when he returned to action last month after breaking his ankle in an aircraft crash in early June that claimed the life of the pilot.
Dettori was registering his fourth winner over the two days at the meeting where he notched his historic seven winners on one day four years ago.
'I cannot believe it - there is some sort of magic every time I come here, I always get lucky,' he said.
'Atlantis Prince is a nice horse and I liked him on my comeback ride. He has his heart in the right place and is a true fighter.'
Atlantis Prince was in front as soon as the runners left the stalls for the one mile Group Two event.
The 11-2 chance repelled the late challenge of the Aidan O`Brien-trained favourite Turnberry Isle, with Hill Country a further one and a quarter lengths back in third.
Heavy morning rain ensured there was plenty of give underfoot which had given trainer Sean Woods a slight cause for concern. 'You just don`t know with two-year-olds how they will handle this sort of ground,' he said Woods.
'But he handled the loose ground at Goodwood very well when he won there last time and we were hopeful this would not be too much of a problem for him.'
The target now for Atlantis Prince is the Grand Criterium, a Group One race over mile, at Longchamp.
The victory earned Atlantis Prince a general 25-1 quote for next year`s Sagitta 2000 Guineas with Ladbrokes although 33-1 was available from Victor Chandler.
Atlantis Prince was providing Dettori with his 35th success at the Ascot Festival, 14 clear of his nearest challenger Pat Eddery who was later successful on Ellens Lad in the Singapore Turf Club Handicap.
Dettori teed up a near 17-1 double when landing the day`s other Group Two event, the Sodexho Diadem Stakes, aboard Sampower Star.
He stepped in for the ride on Godolphin`s original second string when Bertolini was withdrawn because of the soft ground. It took all of Dettori`s experience to get the colt home after the partnership were boxed in inside the final two furlongs.
After being switched wide Sampower Star came home half a length ahead of Tayseer.
'He is a good horse in this ground and when the rains came it was just right for him,' said trainer Saeed Bim Suroor.
'If he comes out of this race all right he could well run in the Prix de l`Abbaye next weekend.'
Tayseer is likely to be sold at the end of the month, according to his trainer David Nicholls. 'He has been entered in the sales and I will be very sad to see him go as he has been a very good horse to train and a great servant,' said Nicholls.
'He might not be sold, the owners might take him back if he doesn`t make enough. He will probably have a run beforehand, there is a race for him here and a Listed contest at Newbury.'
Tornado Prince turned the Mail On Sunday Mile Handicap Final into a procession with a nine-length defeat of Salty Jack.
Eric Alston`s charge ran in the colours of Lynda Ramsden, who is planning a return to the training ranks in Britain.
Quite what the margin of victory will do to the winner`s handicap mark was at the front of the mind of Jack Ramsden, the owner`s husband.
'Eric told me he was in great form but I always thought a mile might be just too much for him, I always saw him as a seven furlong horse,' he said.
French-based Ramsden confirmed the possibility of a move back to England but was guarded as to when. 'We haven`t signed anything yet, when you`ve signed something you can say something but when people`s jobs are involved then it is better to wait until things are finalised,' he said.
Australian Craig Williams was again seen to good effect as the Mark Johnston-trained Kind Regards stormed home by eight lengths in the Coral Eurobet Handicap.
Joe Mercer, the racing manager of the filly`s owner Maktoum Al Maktoum, said: 'She has just got better and better rach time we extend her trip and we`ll definitely look for a Group race over something like a mile and a half.'
The stewards inquired into the running of Seek, the favourite, who finished tailed off.
The jockey Jamie Spencer reported that the colt slipped one and a quarter miles from home and fearing that his mount was injured felt it prudent to ride the colt tenderly thereafter. -PA
