Frankie Dettori described both Lady Aurelia and Enable as fillies with the wow factor based on their impressive seasons to date and he is looking forward to partnering them in big races at the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival.
The ebullient Italian was speaking to Racing UK after riding a piece of work on Lady Aurelia on the home straight of the Knavesmire and said, “It felt like we were going a million miles an hour, she hasn’t lost her speed.”
With the filly having travelled from her base in Kentucky, Frankie continued, “American horses tend to like flat tracks, so York will suit her”.
The fastest race of the week, the Coolmore Nunthorpe on Friday, is the target for Lady Aureli, who is set to clash with Battaash, the impressive winner of the King George Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival. Frankie described himself as “very impressed” with his Charlie Hills-trained opponent and noted that his filly will “have to be at her very best” to land the biggest share of the £350,000 prize money.
Reflecting on dual classic and King George winne, Enable, Dettori observed, “You gotta say wow. I know how good she is, so you’re just hoping that she turns up.” Trained by John Gosden, the filly in the famous colours of Frankel is bidding to add the Darley Yorkshire Oaks on Thursday to her G1 successes in the Investec Oaks and Darley Irish Oaks.
In a busy morning on the Knavesmire, Frankie also partnered a second American filly, Happy Like A Fool, for a spin and confirmed her as being “very speedy, in good form” ahead of a supplementary entry for the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes, the G2 target for juveniles fillies, on Thursday.