In his last appearance in the race, Dettori wins 2000 Guineas aboard Chaldean
Frankie Dettori fell off Chaldean during a rough start to the Greenham Stakes on April 22. Saturday, Dettori came out the saddle with his famed flying dismount after Chaldean won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket by 1 3/4 lengths over 125-1 shot Hi Royal.
The legendary Dettori plans to retire in November after the Breeders’ Cup or the Melbourne Cup. In his final Guineas ride, he won the first classic of the European flat season for the fourth time, following victories in 1996, 1999, and 2016.
Chaldean sat a perfect stalking trip to the right and a couple lengths behind pacesetting Hi Royal. Chaldean improved his position at the three-furlong marker, reached the leader past the quarter pole, and took the lead at the furlong grounds. Powering through soft turf through the uphill finish of the straight-course, one-mile Guineas, Chaldean drew clear at the wire, where Dettori pumped his left fist in celebration.
Dettori in mid-March already was promoting Chaldean’s chances in the Guineas and wondered where this weekend would find him. The race is run the same day as the Kentucky Derby, and Dettori, based in California at the time, was vaguely sniffing around for a Derby mount while at the same time eager to ride Chaldean in the Guineas.
Dettori was back in England last month for Chaldean’s Guineas prep, where Chaldean was shoved sideways at the break and Dettori lost his seat. Chaldean ran his race riderless and must have gotten something out of it, because he was on point Saturday.
Chaldean, a Juddmonte homebred trained by Andrew Balding, was among Europe’s best 2-year-olds last year, winning five of his six starts, including the Group 1 Dewhurst to cap his campaign. Chaldean is by Frankel, who won the Guineas in 2011, and out of Suelita, by Dutch Art.
Hi Royal, who hung in gamely while drifting right in the late stages, held second by a half-length over Royal Scotsman. Favored Auguste Rodin showed nothing, finishing 12th, but was two places better than his Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemate Little Big Bear, who was last of 14. Testing conditions likely played a part in the longshot’s success and the poor performances of the O’Brien runners. Winning time over soft going was 1:41.64, five to seven seconds slower than the last seven Guineas and only the third time of 1:40 or slower since 1988.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.