FRANKIE DETTORI is history and Andrea Atzeni is in Hong Kong – but there will still be a crack Italian jockey in action in the UK this season.
Cristian Demuro, who is based in France, will have some choice mounts for Roger Varian.
Punters will be seeing a lot more of two-time Arc de Triomphe winner Cristian Demuro in action in the UK this seasonCredit: AFP
Over the last week, Demuro has been jocked up for the unbeaten Botagoz in Wednesday’s Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes, although the daughter of Mehmas – who won at Kempton on her debut – wasn’t declared and is more likely to wait for something like the Fred Darling (Dubai Duty Free Stakes) on Saturday.
Explaining all, Varian told me: “Cristian is retained to ride for Nurlan Bizakov, the owner of Botagoz, in France and the plan is for him to come over and ride the nicer horses over here as well.
“Botagoz picked up well on her debut but we will have to see how good she is.”
Demuro is best known for his association with Arc winners Sottsass and Ace Impact, while he won a Dubai Sheema Classic on Shahryar and an Arima Kinen in Japan on Museum Mile.
Bizakov ‘s silks have been carried by classy sprinter Lazzat (now Wathnan) and Varian’s top miler Charyn, who won the Group 1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot in 2024.
He’s been owning horses in the UK for getting on for 20 years, and had the Doncaster Cup hero Askar Tau in 2009.
Last season, Jack Mitchell, Silvestre de Sousa and Ray Dawson were the three jockeys that Varian used most, but it’s the last of those names who will be in pole position for the Newmarket handler this term.
Varian added: “Ray will be my go to guy for all that we will continue to use others.
“It’s not easy to get the perfect set up with jockeys and we perhaps took what we used to have with Andrea Atzeni for granted.
“Since he left we haven’t really had a Nr1, but Ray will get plenty of chances.”
Dawson is jocked up on Varian’s Godolphin-owned Avicenna in Thursday’s bet365 Craven Stakes at Newmarket.
Varian added: “He won twice at Doncaster but we really don’t know how good he is at this stage. He ran on well to land the Flying Scotsman and we hope he’s a nice horse.”
There’s been plenty to take note of in the Newmarket entries this week, and Karl Burke is another who had a horse take the eye in King of Cities, who was one of two entries for the handler in Wednesday’s bet365 Earl of Sefton Stakes.
The former French Derby ninth – who runs in the colours of Exors of the Late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid – used to be trained by Richard Hannon, including when winning the Strensall Stakes at York.
Ironically he beat the same owner’s Boiling Point in that race, and the latter is the one Burke has decided to rely on this time.
King of Cities currently holds an entry in the Curragh Alleged Stakes this Sunday and also the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the same track on May 24.
On Thursday Harry Eustace has popped Ryan Moore on Time for Sandals in the Abernant, even though Kieran Shoemark got a great tune out of her when the pair were seventh in the Sprint Cup at Haydock.
She essentially had no chance in that being drawn away from the stands’ side rail.
Lots to ponder. The Flat is back big-time over the next few days at Newmarket and Newbury.
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