‘I couldn’t be happier’ – Frankie Dettori chases his most lucrative win ever on Country Grammer in £16 million Saudi Cup

FRANKIE DETTORI must have been seeing pound signs in his sleep this week.

Because the legendary jockey is chasing his most lucrative win ever in today’s £16.6 million Saudi Cup.

PA

Frankie has his eyes on the richest race in the world[/caption]

Frankie, 52, announced in December that this is going to be his final year in the saddle.

He kicked off his worldwide farewell tour with a stint in California – and things could hardly have gone any better.

He is currently second in the Santa Anita jockeys’ championship and banged in a stunning 251-1 four-timer last Saturday.

So he was in confident mood when he stepped onto the plane to the Middle East earlier this week for a tasty book of rides in Riyadh.

The headline act is Bob Baffert’s Country Grammer, who is Coral’s 4-1 second favourite for the Saudi Cup behind stablemate Taiba (7-4).

Frankie is a perfect 2-2 on the horse and steered him home in the £10 million Dubai World Cup last March.

He said: “I’m unbeaten for Bob on Country Grammer and the horse was second in the Saudi Cup last year so hopefully we can go one better this weekend.

“I was super pleased to win on him in a big Grade 2 on Boxing Day at Santa Anita, because there were 40,000 people there and the pressure was on.

“You know me, I wanted to turn on the style and he did. Bob made it very clear to me back then that the Saudi Cup was the big target.

“I’ve been riding him in his work and he has been flying. I couldn’t be happier going into the race.”

Frankie would dearly love to tick the world’s richest race off his bucket list before he retires in November – not that he needs the dough!

And another race he’d love to bag before heading off into the sunset is the Kentucky Derby, which clashes with the Guineas meeting in early May.

But that plan has hit a snag, with his intended ride Newgate suffering an injury setback.

He added: “I want to win as many big races as I can before I hang up my boots – I just wish I’d ridden abroad during the winter 10 years ago!”

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