Aidan O’Brien makes ‘very exciting, world-class jockey booking’ for £1million race

AIDAN O’BRIEN will make a rare link-up with Frankie Dettori as the superstar pair aim to plunder a £1million pot on Saturday night.

Dettori, 54, has been booked to ride the Ballydoyle boss’ Diego Velazquez in the Group 1 Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland.

GettyFrankie Dettori has been firing in winners Stateside and will get a huge ride for Aidan O’Brien at Keeneland on Saturday night[/caption]

Ryan Moore, O’Brien’s No1, continues to be sidelined with a broken leg.

Even if he had been fit, though, he would have been in Paris this weekend for the blockbuster Arc weekend.

Meanwhile, Christophe Soumillon and Tom Marquand, among others, have proved more than able deputies in his absence.

But it’s to the legendary Italian that O’Brien and Diego Velazquez’s owners will turn in search of the £600,000 first-place prize.

Dettori produced a perfectly-timed ride to win the near-£1m Nashville Derby prize aboard the James Owen-trained Wimbledon Hawkeye in August.

And he rolled back the years in the Godolphin blue last weekend when landing the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes on globetrotting superstar Rebel’s Romance.

Dettori will don some more familiar silks this weekend when he rides in the legendary blue and green Sangster silks.

The racing dynasty bought Diego Velazquez from Coolmore just before he won the Jacques le Marois in August.

Sam Sangster, who heads up the syndicate who own Diego Velazquez, said: “He’s got a nice draw in four and obviously we’ve got a very exciting jockey booking as well.

“Frankie remains a world-class jockey at the top of his game and his last ride in a Grade One was a winner (aboard Rebel’s Romance) and our last run in a Group One was a win as well, so hopefully we can combine and keep the run going.

“It gives us plenty of confidence that Frankie is riding for us and not on one of the other ones.

“The horse is in great form. I was over in Ballydoyle a couple of weeks ago and he looks tremendous.

“We head there with every confidence.

“It’s a very deep field and there is a Jean Prat winner in Woodshauna and Jonquil who has run very well in Group One company before and was impressive at Goodwood in the Celebration Mile, as well as some American horses with good, solid form behind them.”