Racing: Dettori the new favourite for jockeys' title

Frankie Dettori is now favourite to land the Flat jockeys' championship after drawing alongside Kieren Fallon with a 14-1 double at Yarmouth yesterday.

Frankie Dettori is now favourite to land the Flat jockeys' championship after drawing alongside Kieren Fallon with a 14-1 double at Yarmouth yesterday.

His two winners forced Ladbrokes to cut him to 4-5 to regain the title he last won in 1995.

Dettori cut down his rivals on board the heavily-backed Mine Behind in the toteplacepot Sprint Handicap and then booted home Instinct in the Thomas Prior Maiden Stakes.

That left him with a seasonal total of 149 winners - the same as Fallon, who scored on Fearby Cross in the last at Salisbury. Dettori said: "I'm enjoying the scrap, but there's still seven weeks to go."

Fallon has been eased to evens with Ladbrokes to retain his crown. Balthazar Fabricius, Ladbrokes' spokesman, said: "Dettori is a £100,000 loser for us, while Fallon is a £40,000 winner on our book. Needless to say, we're cheering Kieren on. But in recent days he has been friendless in the betting as the Dettori bandwagon has gathered momentum."

David Stevens, of Coral, who now have both jockeys on 5-6, added: "This race should go all the way to the wire but for now we'll let the punters decide who they want to win."

Dettori's first winner of the day came as a result of a canny ride on 4-1 favourite Mine Behind. The four-year-old gelding was held up in touch during the early stages before being asked for his effort over three furlongs out.

Travelling sweetly for Dettori, Mine Behind swept into the lead just inside the final furlong before comfortably landing the spoils by a length and a half from Tony The Tap.

The winning trainer, John Best, said: "That's his third win this year, which is really good news. He did it quite well in the end. Frankie said that they went just a little bit too quick early on, on that ground, which played into his hands as a stiff five furlongs or an easy six is ideal for him. He's in at Ayr on Friday and we might have to go there now. We will see how he is when he gets home."

Best is having a terrific season and now has a first half-century in his sights. He said: "That was our 38th winner of the year and I want to get to 50. If I can hit that target, it will be some achievement."

Seb Sanders kept himself hanging on to the shirt-tails of the two leaders with a 43-1 treble at the Norfolk track. Sir Mark Prescott supplied the three-timer for Sanders, who now has 136 winners to his name.

His wins came on Succession (Jack Leader Challenge Trophy), Our Emmy Lou (Trett Consulting Claiming Stakes) and Circassian (Bennetts Electrical Toshiba Handicap).

Instinct's trainer Richard Hannon later went on to send out his 100th winner of the year when Dowager took the £15,000 Elm Contract Conditions Stakes. The three-year-old Groom Dancer filly sprang something of a shock in the six-furlong contest when she turned over the hot favourite Country Reel, ridden by Dettori.

The gambled-on Whitbarrow tried to burn his seven rivals off, surging clear in the middle of the track. But Dowager, a 12-1 shot, moved to the front over two furlongs out and hung on grimly to record a three-quarters of a length victory.

Airwave will have another new jockey when she tackles the Dubai International Airport World Trophy at Newbury on Saturday. Kevin Darley rode the four-year-old when she finished 11th, beaten five lengths, in the Stanleybet Sprint Cup on her latest start, taking over from Darryll Holland, who had been in the plate on her previous two runs.

"Darryll Holland's agent rang up and asked for the ride but I think he has now been switched to go to Ayr, so Richard Quinn will probably ride her," Airwave's trainer Henry Candy said. "It's a pity to have to keep chopping and changing, but there we are.

"She's very well. She's changed her attitude completely - she now likes to jump out of the stalls and go too quick, so it's a case of getting her to settle in her races so she can finish. But they ought to go quick enough over five furlongs at Newbury and we'll see how we get on. She'll be retired at the end of the season."

Flat jockeys' championship: Ladbrokes: 4-5 (from 5-6) Dettori, evens (from 5-6) Fallon. William Hill: 5-6 Fallon (from 4-6), 5-6 Dettori (from 11-10). Blue Square: 8-11 Dettori, evens Fallon. Coral: 5-6 (from 4-5) Fallon, 5-6 (from evens) Dettori.

¿ Godolphin have supplemented Dubawi for the Dunnes Stores National Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday at a cost of €30,000 (£20,500). The seven-furlong Group One contest has attracted a total of 16 entries, including an eight-strong Aidan O'Brien squad.