Frankie
will return to Dubai to ride on World Cup night, with Godolphin Mile favourite Raging Torrent the pick of two mounts for American trainer Doug O’Neill on Saturday week.
The Italian has also been booked to partner outsider Mixto in the World Cup, a race he was won a record-equalling four times before with Dubai Millennium (2000), Moon Ballad (2003), Electrocutionist (2006) and Country Grammer (2022).
Raging Torrent will bid to give O’Neill back-to-back wins in the Group Two Godolphin Mile, following the success of Two Rivers Over last term.
Dettori, who can boast seven previous triumphs in this contest, was on board the four-year-old for the first time when landing the Grade One Malibu Stakes over seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Boxing Day.
O’Neill, who also won with Spring At Last in 2007, said: “We circled the Godolphin Mile after the Malibu.
“Having Frankie in the saddle, arguably one of the best of all time, it’s a great asset. He knows him well, he’s worked him and won on him, so it’s definitely a big plus.
“He shipped great, his appetite has been really good and his energy level is excellent as well according to my staff, so it’s so far, so good.”
All four of the colt’s wins have come over seven furlongs, but O’Neill has no fears about tackling a longer trip at
.
He told the Dubai Racing Club: “Not at all, I think the one-turn mile is the key. He’s got tons of stamina.
“He’s a little more precocious than Spring At Last and Two Rivers Over, who were two wonderful horses, but he’s got that six-furlong sort of speed and he can stay a mile. He checks all the boxes and now we just need to stay injury-free between now and the race.”