Melbourne Cup 2019: Frankie Dettori aims to end Cup drought on Master Of Reality

Finally cracking it for a Melbourne Cup win, after 26 years of trying, would mean the world to champion jockey Frankie Dettori — and his Australian relatives.

Frankie Dettori hopes to cap another remarkable season with his first win in the Melbourne Cup when he rides Master Of Reality. Picture: AFP

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Frankie Dettori was greeted with an unwelcome sense of déjà vu on arrival in Melbourne on Monday, something he dearly hopes does not continue through to another Melbourne Cup defeat at Flemington on Tuesday.

Dettori is the most famous name in world racing but has one of the world’s most famous races missing from his extraordinary honour roll.

Finally cracking it for a Melbourne Cup, after 26 years of trying, would mean the world to Dettori, who after a couple of monstrous years in feature races across the globe has again attained the mantle of the world’s best jockey.

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Frankie Dettori hopes to cap another remarkable season with his first win in the Melbourne Cup when he rides Master Of Reality. Picture: AFP

On Tuesday he partners Master Of Reality in what will be his 17th Melbourne Cup ride, 26 years after his maiden attempt on Drum Taps.

Nick Williams, who part-owns Dettori’s 2019 Cup ride Master Of Reality talked this week about the Italian’s obsession with winning a Melbourne Cup, a fact the 48-year-old jockey acknowledged after touching down in Melbourne on Monday.

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“Of course I am (desperate to win the race) because my wife’s parents are from here,” Dettori said. “Cathy’s mum is from Bathurst and her father is from New Zealand.

“She still has relatives here forever asking me when I’m going to win the Melbourne Cup and I’m forever telling them ‘I’m trying!’. It’s not for lack of trying. Look, it’s a major race, it’s missing on my CV and I’d like to win it.”

Amazingly, Dettori was still waiting on Monday night for his luggage to arrive, after going missing on his flight into Melbourne.

“It’s the second time. They did it 10 years ago,” he said. “So I had to ring around to a few of my friends to bring some clothes for me. Luckily, we are all the same size.

“Ten years ago, the same thing happened and it got in on the same flight in the morning. Otherwise, Plan B, I have to borrow some (race gear).

“I hope it gets here (Tuesday) because I’ve got to go to Japan (Tuesday night).”

Frankie Dettori enjoyed a successful season in Europe with champion stayer Stradivarius. Picture: Getty Images

The jockey, who has teamed with John Gosden to win a string of top-class races over the past few years, highlighted by Enable’s twin wins in the Arc de Triomphe, has marvelled at how big the Melbourne Cup has become since he made his first attempt on Drum Taps in 1993, the year the lesser-fancied import Vintage Crop changed the Cup forever.

“When I came here in 1993 it was a bit like the first man on the moon, a European coming to Melbourne,” he said. “Now nobody thinks twice about jumping on a plane coming to Melbourne. It’s unbelievable (how big it has become).

“Everybody was crying and they all kicked up a fuss when Vintage Crop won, but he gave the opportunity for everybody to give it a go, because now they think it’s possible to win it.

“Now it’s become more international, the horses from Japan, it’s a proper, proper race.

“It has become a major race in the racing calendar.”

Prolific winning Cup owner Lloyd Williams makes no secret of his admiration for Dettori and rung him a few months back to book him for the ride on Master Of Reality, whose form included a third in this year’s Ascot Gold Cup, where he finished in front of defending Melbourne Cup champ Cross Counter.

Frankie Dettori’s Cup mount, Master Of Reality, has form around Stradivarius. Picture: AAP

“He asked me in the (European) summer to ride this horse,” Dettori said.

“He said to keep myself available and when he asked me to ride Master Of Reality, I thought great, because he’s a good stayer and if we get the rain, even better.”

While his luggage may have been somewhere in transit, at least one of Dettori’s wishes came true on Monday, with Melbourne’s dark skies dumping more rain across the city after Saturday’s soaked Derby Day.

The track was rated a Soft (6), which is the type of surface Dettori is hoping for.

Johnny Murtagh, the legendary Irish jockey, spoke at Crown’s Call of the Card on Monday about Dettori’s quest to reel in his record of 21 Group 1 winners in a calendar year. Dettori is closing in on 19.

“He’s sticking his chest out, telling me 16, 17,” Murtagh said. “I said ‘mate I’m on 21’.”

Murtagh joked about Dettori’s Cup record as being poor and his reputation for giving horses wide runs in the Cup, but it didn’t mask his admiration for the Italian and he said it’s possible a Cup win could come Tuesday.

“If Master Of Realty gets rolling on the speed, if the horse is good enough I’m not sure, but if he can get rolling, it could be No.20 (for Dettori),” Murtagh said.

CUP AMBITION

Frankie Dettori’s record in the Melbourne Cup.

2017 Almandin 12th 6-1

2016 Wicklow Brave 22nd 15-1

2015 Max Dynamite 2nd 12-1

2012 Cavalryman 12th 30-1

2010 Holberg 6th 20-1

2006 Geordieland 18th 15-1

2004 Mamool 7th 25-1

2003 Mamool 23rd 11-2

2002 Pugin 18th 15-2

2001 Marienbard 7th 16-1

2000 Lightning Arrow 17th 20-1

1999 Central Park 2nd 50-1

1998 Faithful Son 7th 13-2

1997 Arabian Story 6th 25-1

1995 Bullwinkle 10th 40-1

1993 Drum Taps 9th 6-1