Dettori And O’Brien Team Up In $2 million races In USA on Saturday

Jack Haynes (Racing Post)

Fresh from a Nashville Derby victory aboard the Andrew Balding-trained Bellum Justum at Kentucky Downs last weekend, Frankie Dettori is teaming up with Aidan O’Brien for three rides in races worth $2 million (£1.53m/€1.81m) at the track on Saturday. Here we provide the lowdown on those mounts . . .

Greenfinch won a Listed race against her own sex at Killarney and steps up to Grade 3 company in the Light & Wonder Ladies Marathon Stakes.

The daughter of Justify is the sole three-year-old in the nine-runner field and is receiving weight from her rivals.

She has been beaten on her two previous attempts in Group company but is open to improvement at this 1m2½f trip.

Her opposition includes the Roger Varian-trained Three Priests, who was fourth in a 1m4f Listed race at Pontefract last time and is ridden by John Velazquez.

Mountain Bear will be a name more familiar to US racing fans as he finished second to stablemate Unquestionable in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita last year.

He has failed to score in four starts at three but ran well when a two-length fourth behind Haatem in the Jersey at Royal Ascot and was a running-on half-length second in a Group 3 at Leopardstown last time.

A mile on firm ground should suit this son of No Nay Never and he should be in the mix in an open Mint Million Stakes.

Charlie Hills and Jamie Spencer combine with Ancient Rome, who is another leading player on the back of his keeping-on third in the Arlington Million at Colonial Downs last time.

Chief Little Rock bids to bounce back from a below-par effort in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot when contesting the FanDuel TV Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes.

He is the sole three-year-old in the Grade 2 over 1m4f and was a convincing winner of the Gallinule at the Curragh on his penultimate start.

His form also ties in with Nashville Derby winner Bellum Justum as he finished third to King Power Racing’s three-year-old in Epsom’s Blue Riband Trial on his reappearance in April.