Frankie’s on fire and Teal is real deal at Newbury races

Frankie Dettori’s farewell season continued with a spectacular win aboard Haskoy in the Group 3 Al Rayyan Stakes at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday.

The track hosted two days of action-packed racing across the weekend, including the showpiece Lockinge Stakes and Ladies’ Day.

Legendary jockey Dettori, who is in his final season in the saddle, steered the 5/2 second favourite to a last-gasp triumph in a thrilling renewal in West Berkshire.

The four-year-old made fine progress in her first season for trainer Ralph Beckett, winning on her first two starts before being demoted from second to fourth after a spirited showing in the Group 1 Cazoo St Leger Stakes at Doncaster in September.

However the promising filly looked beaten on her seasonal return as she appeared to lack the pace to keep in touch with the front three two furlongs out, but responded remarkably to Dettori’s requests in the saddle and stormed home to finish a short head clear of John and Thady Gosden’s Israr.

Meanwhile, there was a stunning 150/1 winner in the Starlight Charity Remembers Christopher Hanbury Maiden Stakes on Friday.

Zoulu Chief was given no chance by the bookies ahead of the third race on Friday, having finished seventh from eight in a disappointing debut at Salisbury three weeks prior.

However the two-year-old defied the odds and made all the running, finishing four-and-three-quarter lengths clear of pre-race favourite Baheer to win for opera-singer-turned-trainer Heather Main.

Bear Force One was another relative outsider to upset the bookies, winning the BetVictor Handicap for Lambourn’s Roger Teal.