Dettori 'saved by helmet'

THE champion jockey, Frankie Dettori was last night badly bruised and concussed but not seriously hurt after an horrific fall at Haydock Park.

A revolutionary new crash helmet, introduced this year, may have saved the rider from more serious injury after he had fallen from Wainwright in the Rose of Lancaster Stakes. Dettori was detained overnight in Warrington General Hospital but is expected to be allowed to go home to Newmarket today.

"If you saw the crack in his helmet, you would undoubtedly say that has saved the day," the Jockeys' Association secretary, Michael Caulfield, said after visiting Dettori in hospital. Under Jockey Club rules, Dettori, who had won the Haydock opener on Crissem to take his score this year to 159 winners, will be automatically stood down for seven or 21 days for concussion. "And it might be that Frankie will be out for 21 days but I don't think it will affect his title hopes," Caulfield added.

Dettori is well clear in the jockeys' table; if he is stood down for only seven days, he will be able to return to ride in the valuable Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville next Sunday and the big York festival the following week.

Six-year-old Wainwright, whose leg was shattered irreparably below the knee, was swiftly destroyed. He had been a grand servant to Sheikh Mohammed and John Gosden, winning five of his 23 races. Wainwright was towards the rear of the field when he fell, and mercifully impeded no other runners.

The race went to the Derby fourth Fahal, who was back to his best over an extended 10 furlongs after two attempts at a mile and a half. The Silver Hawk colt took up the running a quarter of a mile out and ran on strongly to hold Young Buster.

Another of Sheikh Hamdan's colour-bearers, Bint Salsabil, provided the focus of interest at Newmarket when she reappeared in the Listed Enza New Zealand Sweet Solera Stakes.

The filly had been made favourite for next year's Oaks after her winning debut at Ascot in June, and kept her place at the head of the Classic market with a game, and comfortable enough, neck victory.

The beautifully bred filly - a daughter of two of her owner's champions, Nashwan and Salsabil - showed admirable tenacity to thrust her way between rivals two furlongs out, and then ran on strongly to hold Staffin's challenge when asked by Willie Carson to go about her business.

Bint Salsabil is a much more imposing, powerful individual than her dam but seems to have inherited her determined attitude, and will be aimed at one of the big autumn mile events for her sex. Trainer John Dunlop was absent but her owner's racing manager Angus Gold said: "The Fillies Mile at Ascot or the Marcel Boussac at Longchamp are the obvious targets."

Carson, mindful of the firm ground, gave Bint Salsabil as easy a race as he could. Gold added: "There has been a bit of hype about her because of her pedigree, but even though she won only narrowly today it was very pleasing to see her put her head down and battle. And she will be better on easier ground."

At Newmarket, too, there was a reminder of how tough racing can be. The Reg Akehurst-trained filly Circle Of Friends had to be put down after breaking her pelvis during the second race, just half an hour after her stablemate Jellaby Askhir won the opening contest.