Frankie Dettori hoping for July Cup and Italy double

Frankie Dettori is hoping Extravagant Kid can finally fill the only major gap on his British racing CV by landing the Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday.

The six-furlong contest is the only domestic Group One race the 50-year-old has yet to win, although he has ridden the runner-up on three occasions – Iffraaj (2006), Advertise (2019) and Sceptical (2020).

Dettori said: “I have been living in Newmarket since 1985 and outside of the Guineas this is our biggest race, so I would of course love to be able to win it. I have won races all over the world and it is this one in my hometown that is proving the most difficult.

“I thought I was finally going to do it a couple of years ago on Advertise but he was no match for Ten Sovereigns in the finish and Sceptical ran a great race last year.

“Hopefully, I can finally get a July Cup winner – I am 50 years old and so time is precious!”

Extravagant Kid is trained by US-based Brendan Walsh and is a 12-1 chance with bet365 for the race. Winner of the Group One Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan, UAE, in March, the eight year old has stayed on in Britain since finishing third on his British debut behind Oxted in the Group One King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs at Royal Ascot last month.

Oxted won the Darley July Cup in 2020 and lines up again on Saturday, when he will bid to become the first back-to-back winner of the prestigious sprint since Right Boy in 1958 and 1959.

Assessing the chances of Extravagant Kid on Saturday, Dettori said: “I am not sure he is the best horse in the race but he is the best ride that I could get.

“Oxted thrashed us at Royal Ascot and we have it all to do to reverse the form with him. However, my horse will like the ground and is an honest performer who stays six furlongs well.

“With 19 runners it should hopefully be a strongly run race which will suit and we are drawn in stall 12, which is quite close to Oxted (drawn 16) and that is hopefully where the pace is going to be.”

Dettori says he will be “hiding somewhere” as he watches on when his beloved Italy clash with England in the Euro 2020 final 24 hours later.

The hugely popular Italian rider was at Wembley on Tuesday to see the Azzurri knock out Spain on penalties in their semi-final, but will not be there in person on Sunday night.

Looking back on England’s victory against Denmark – sealed by Harry Kane’s swift rebound from his own saved penalty, given after a contentious foul on Raheem Sterling – Dettori is expecting a tight affair.

He said: “I watched most of the match until you (England) got the phantom penalty and I decided to go to bed!

“I went to the Italy semi-final – I took Andrea (Atzeni, fellow jockey) with me, and my daughter. I was given tickets, so I thought it was a good opportunity, and it was a rollercoaster to be honest with you – I felt like I’d had seven rides at Royal Ascot afterwards!

“I’m not going to the final. I’m taking my wife away for a couple of days and didn’t realise it was on the same day as the final, but maybe it’s a good thing, in case we get beat! I’ll be hiding somewhere, and watch it by myself.

“I don’t think anyone could wish for a better final, and I think it will be close.

“I’m Italian and obviously I’ll be rooting for my country. But you are at home, you’ll have 60,000 people behind you as the 12th man – and that could swing it your way.”