London, United Kingdom— Frankie Dettori rounded off his week with a treble, including finally winning the only Group One at Royal Ascot to have eluded him with victory in the Coronation Stakes on Irish raider Alpine Star.
The 49-year-old Italian’s haul, which also included another Group One for trainer John Gosden in the St James’s Palace Stakes with Palace Pier, gave him six winners for an overall Royal Ascot tally of 73.
However, 25-year-old Kevin Stott, who once had a trial as a footballer at Tottenham, denied him a fourth win in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on the Kevin Ryan-trained Hello Youmzain.
The Danish rider added a second winner, along with Ryan in the big handicap of the day, the Wokingham Stakes.
Dettori punched the air and his trademark flying dismount followed after Saturday’s triumph, despite there being no spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic to admire it.
“It has taken 30 years to win all the Group Ones, but I can say that I have really conquered Royal Ascot now,” said Dettori.
“I am thrilled, thrilled. It is a big tick of a box in my career for me.”
For trainer Jessica Harrington, who watched the race with friends in Ireland, it was her second victory in the race having trained Alpine Star’s half-sister Alpha Centauri to triumph in 2018.
“You could probably have heard us in Ascot the volume we were shouting,” said Harrington.
“I could not believe how well she did it. She has such a big heart.”
Dettori, who had started with a win on American runner Campanelle in the Queen Mary Stakes, struck in the next, the St James’s Palace Stakes, conjuring up a late burst from Palace Pier to overhaul Pinatubo and denting further the runner-up’s reputation.