Dettori gets lucky with Camelot ride

The jockey without a ride will race for the 26th time on the trot in France after the Coolmore horse goes rider-less.

Frankie Dettori will be give up the sky blue-white colours of Godolphin and ride for the Coolmore operation on Sunday.

Frankie Dettori was announced as the partner to Aidan O'Brien's Camelot yesterday in the latest twist in the lead-up to Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in France.

It will be the first time the Godolphin jockey has ridden a horse owned by the global breeding operation of Coolmore since he rode Scorpion to victory in the 2005 English St Leger.

Dettori, who has not yet spoken to O'Brien, was set to miss out on a ride in the world's most valuable turf race for the first time in 25 years after he made his debut in the race as a teenager in 1988.

"What an opportunity and honour to be asked to ride the Guineas and Derby winner in the Arc," Dettori said from Salisbury Racecourse in England yesterday.

"I will have ridden in 25 Arcs in a row, which is a pretty good record, so I'm looking forward to it and am pretty excited," he added, in an interview with the Racing UK channel.

Camelot, the English 2000 Guineas and Derby victor, was without a jockey because Joseph O'Brien, his regular partner, could not make the weight of 8st 11lbs having not ridden below 8st 12lbs all year.

O'Brien will ride St Nicholas Abbey, Camelot's stablemate who was fifth last season and subsequently second in the Dubai Sheema Classic.

Although Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has Masterstroke running for the trainer Andre Fabre and the French branch of Godolphin, Dettori was earmarked to ride Snow Fairy before she was injured at the weekend.

The filly suffered a leg injury on Saturday, and this week Dettori was quoted in a British racing paper highlighting his availability.

Following the news that Snow Fairy had been withdrawn, last year's winner Danedream, and Nathaniel were also taken out of the race this week.

Danedream is currently the subject of a 90-day lockdown in Cologne, Germany, because of an equine illness, while Nathaniel suffered a temperature.

"The last two to three days have been pretty unbelievable so it was a great honour to be asked," Dettori said.

"Let's hope the horse is in tip-top shape. It's been a pretty long season now but if the Camelot we know turns up he should have a very good chance."

Elsewhere, Tadgh O'Shea, the champion UAE jockey last season, has parted company with Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid.

O'Shea, who was second jockey to the Minister of Finance, will not be riding for Sheikh Hamdan from next year.

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