Dettori laments bright lights and fails to take share of blame

The bright lights of Breeders' Cup '98 were all home-generated and some of them left Frankie Dettori seething with frustration. A depressingly blank day for the Europeans had been briefly lit up for Irish eyes by the excellent fifth of Sunshine Street at odds of 115 to 1 in the Turf but the hope of a victory for Swain in the Classic was clung to like a lifeboat amid the debris.

The sad part was that salvation was within spitting distance. The £4 million Classic had been built up as the clash of the titans between Silver Charm and Skip Away, with a host of other worthies thrown in to make up the numbers.

Swain was a number but he became the story. The dual King George winner ranged up on the turn in to challenge Silver Charm and the first European roars of the day rose in the throat.

Skip Away was already beaten but then Swain threw his chance away.

Dettori blamed the television lights on the line. "Swain saw the lights glaring and veered right. He's not used to that. It cost me two lengths and he was only beaten half a length," the Italian reported.

Maybe so, but Dettori will not look back on this as a vintage effort by him. Why, for instance, did he go against type and suddenly use his whip on Swain like a demented housewife slashing at a particularly dusty carpet? Why, when Swain understandably drifted under such staccato pressure, did he not pull his whip through to his right hand? If Swain was scared of the lights, why did he veer towards them instead of away?

In the gathering gloom of Louisville, camera flashes and other lights had become even more obvious and Swain probably is not totally used to that. But it's hard not to think back to the Dubai World Cup in March, which was run at night with Nad Al Sheba lit up like a Christmas tree.

Swain ran as straight as a gunbarrel there. He was actually beaten three-quarters of a length and a neck by the surprise winner Awesome Again and Silver Charm. The alarming drift did seem to cost him the race and it was hard to argue with an unimpressed local hack who pointed to Dettori and swiped: "The guy just lost his head."

It was the culmination of a series of European losses during the day. Second Empire was very much fancied before the Mile but managed only sixth to Da Hoss, who won his second Breeders' Cup having had only one other race since the last one.

"Second Empire missed the break and that means trouble here," said Aidan O'Brien. "They just go so quickly. It's disappointing."

That sixth was better, however, than the other main hope, Desert Prince. The Irish National Studbound colt finished last and Oliver Peslier reported: "We were struck into on the first bend and he was not the same after that. He just didn't want to do anything."

Sunshine Street, however, did just as Noel Meade and John Murtagh expected in the Turf. For much of the race, Sunshine Street looked set for a first-three placing but as Buck's Boy made all to win, the Irish horse got tired close home and finished fifth.

It was the best European placing in the race and Sunshine Street's owner, Pat Garvey, a Dublin-based computer businessman, exalted: "In the straight I thought we would get second. It's been a wonderful thrill and now I'm going to get a drink!"

Meade added: "I'm actually a little disappointed as I thought he'd get third but it's been a great adventure."

Murtagh, having his second Breeders' Cup ride, reported: "He is such a brave horse. Maybe he lacks a little class but he is all heart and that's what you want."

If there was consolation from the race it was that Buck's Boy is trained by a West Cork man. Noel Hickey (70) first came to America on a track and field scholarship with Villanova. He relocated to Canada in the '50s before starting in racing in the early '60s.

Hickey was based in Chicago, where he was three times the leading trainer, but is now in Florida and won his first Breeders' Cup with only his second runner.

Considering the pre-race hopes of the European contingent, Hickey's comments yesterday that the European trainers were "egotistical" if they thought that Breeders' Cup races would just fall into their hands carried some clout. The visitors may be more sanguine now but come Gulfstream Park '99, no doubt optimism will have returned.