FRANKIE DETTORI is hoping to keep his Guineas dream alive on Chaldean in the Greenham at Newbury.
The Italian reckons Andrew Balding’s top colt has what it takes to provide him with a fourth 2,000 Guineas win before he retires.
Chaldean heads to Newbury on Saturday to tackle the Greenham Stakes
The son of Frankel completed a four-timer under Frankie in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes on his final start of 2022.
And the horse he beat twice last season, Karl Burke’s Indestructible, gave his form a timely boost when bagging Thursday’s Craven at Newmarket.
He is currently the general 5-1 second favourite for the Guineas and Dettori said: “I loved my time in America but I had some nice horses to get back on in the UK, starting with Chaldean.
“I didn’t want to let go of this one, he was a very good two-year-old and I’m really looking forward to getting on him again. He looks a special horse.
“Fingers crossed my hopes of winning the Guineas for one last time will still be very much alive following the weekend.”
Leading trainer Balding, who fired in 133 winners and banked a career-high £4.5 million in prize-money last season, is certainly optimistic.
He holds Chaldean in the highest regard but was keen to get a run into him before the Guineas on May 6 to get him to peak fitness for the big one.
Balding said: “We are delighted with the way he has wintered, he’s been healthy and we’ve been able to get the work into him that we wanted.
“I’ve no doubt he will improve for the run so that’s the reason we are taking in a trial along the way.
“Last year he improved with every race and we thought he would be better suited by having a run rather than going straight to the Guineas.
“At the same time I think his fitness levels are at a point where he will run a big race, we will just have to keep an eye on the ground to make sure it’s not a proper slog.
“Frankie is a master jockey and it’s great to have him on a horse like this, hopefully the pair of them can have a big year.”
