How a call to Frankie Dettori on the treadmill ended with legend taking ride in £2.6m race on Dubai World Cup night
FRANKIE DETTORI has answered an SOS from old pal Martin Dwyer and will go for Dubai Sheema Classic glory on Pyledriver.
It is the first time the Italian has sat on William Muir’s Coronation Cup winner who is a 14-1 shot to win at Meydan on Saturday.
Gutted Dwyer misses out after injuring his knee while riding out at home for Brian Meehan.
He put Dettori in the frame and called him to make sure he was free.
Muir said: “Martin rang Frankie and talked to him for us, I think he was on the treadmill at the time! Everything is sorted.
“Frankie is the boy on the big stage and you can’t get any bigger than this.”
Most read in Horse Racing
Pyledriver flopped in the Neom Cup on his return to action in Saudi Arabia last month. However Muir insists that was down to being drawn in the car park in Riyadh.
This time Pyledriver has a kinder draw in stall one and Muir said: “The draw killed him in Saudi so we have to be happy with an inside draw for this.
“The horse is very versatile. He can jump and go forward so we’ll let Frankie do what he does best and decide how to ride the race.
“Pyledriver has come on a lot for his last run and has looked really good. I’m very happy with him. I can’t believe the price he is! He’s got a right chance on the numbers.”
DOWNLOAD THE NEW SUN RACING APP NOW
The mile and a half Group 1 is red hot. Authority, who won the Neom Cup, reopposes while Charlie Appleby’s Yibir and William Haggas’ Alenquer also line up.
Dettori will also hope to win the Dubai Turf on Lord North, a race he won from the same stall nine last year.
Lord Glitters and Mohaafeth are among the rivals, as is Saffron Beach who will be ridden by Hollie Doyle.
Dettori will hope to crown a big day with a fourth victory in the £10million Dubai World Cup on dirt.
The 50-year-old star first won it in 2000 on the great Dubai Millennium and rides Country Grammer for the brilliant but controversial American Bob Baffert who took it with Arrogate in 2017.