Frankie Dettori shows again why he will be missed after Group One Epsom double on Soul Sister and Emily Upjohn

By Ben Linfoot

18:11 · FRI June 02, 2023

Ben Linfoot was our man on the track at Epsom as Frankie Dettori, aboard Emily Upjohn and Soul Sister, stole the show once again on Betfred Oaks day.

Frankie leaping for joy again

“They need to find another jockey to leap off a horse,” said Gaby Roslin on BBC Radio 2 on Oaks day morning, as they discussed Epsom and Frankie Dettori’s not-so-imminent retirement on The Breakfast Show.

Oh Roslin. If only it was as easy as that. With every passing Group 1 win from Lanfranco it becomes more and more obvious the size of the chasm he’s going to leave in the sport at the end of the year. Dettori is simply irreplaceable.

His latest show-stealer was a Group 1 double on Oaks day, steering the John & Thady Gosden-trained fillies Emily Upjohn and Soul Sister to glory on a sun-baked afternoon. A high-five that turned into an awkward handshake aside, this was quality stuff from Gosden and Dettori as these two fillies have not had straightforward paths to this day of destiny.

Emily Upjohn looked a sour mare in last summer’s King George, but Gosden’s skill with fillies includes sweetening them up after setbacks and she looked right on her game nearly three months later in the Fillies’ & Mares’ on Champions Day back at the scene of her midsummer crime.

The first-time hood worked the oracle and the headgear worked again, especially ahead of the Oaks as she settled serenely for Frankie on what could’ve been a sweaty trot down to the start. Dropped out and ridden with confidence, she proved herself against the colts in style.

Dettori kept things simple in the Oaks by producing a copycat ride aboard Soul Sister, keeping her wide and using the camber to propel his mount forward with a devastating momentum.

Class from Frankie, but the Gosdens have prepared this filly beautifully.

Another trainer might’ve panicked after her Fred Darling no-show, her reappearance over seven furlongs an indication of the speed she must’ve shown at home. Not Gosden. Back to the drawing board, back to the Musidora, a race he had won seven times before – including last year with Emily Upjohn.

That stunning victory told Gosden, and Frankie, they possibly had an Oaks filly on their hands. When Frankie was cruising down the middle of the track on the outside of Savethelastdance they had their confirmation. And yes, he did leap off the horse.

FULL REPORT: Frankie Dettori and Soul Sister win the Oaks from Savethelastdance

Frankel final piece of the jigsaw

Owner-breeder Lady Bamford had won the Musidora a couple of times before with Sariska, who went onto win the Oaks, and Star Of Seville, who did not. But there was always hope that Soul Sister was more Sariska and less Star Of Seville due to her super sire, Frankel.

Frankel’s success at stud is somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy, given he gets sent the best mares around. But it doesn’t always work out for these racetrack superstars in their second careers and it’s certainly working out in spectacular style for him.

What’s become apparent is that he has become the final piece of the jigsaw for many breeders who had produced good racehorses in the past from good families without quite hitting the jackpot.

Take the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, for example. Alpinista was from a terrific family, a family that won German Group Ones, while her half-sister, by Kendargent, was Listed class. Add Frankel to the mix and an Arc comes along.

It’s a similar story with Soul Sister who has 90-rated half-brothers by Kingman and Galileo. Soul Sister is the third offspring by Frankel out of Dream Peace, the first filly, and she looked different class in the Oaks – with the promise of more to come.

What next for Soul Sister?

It’s not always the case that Oaks winners go on and achieve more top-level success after Epsom, but it has been when it comes to Gosden.

Taghrooda was his first Oaks winner in 2014 and she went on to win the King George. Enable was next in 2017 and that remarkable mare won another 10 races at the highest level. Anapurna wasn’t as successful post-Epsom in 2019, but she did go on and win the Prix de Royallieu.

Given Gosden’s touch with his Oaks fillies, the future looks bright for Soul Sister. The Irish Oaks looks likely to be next and that could end up being somewhat of a penalty kick – the inevitable Irish leg of Frankie’s farewell tour.

But this filly looks to have the gears to drop back to 10 furlongs, as well, and that opens up a world of opportunity for her. Her pedigree suggests she could train on at four, too, unlike Lady Bamford’s last Oaks winner, Sariska.

With thoughts racing ahead to a possible four-year-old campaign at 2024 means it’s exciting times indeed for all connected with Soul Sister. The Frankel factor will still be in force then, even if the Frankie factor has been retired to history.

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