Turf Topics: Kite Wood leaves Dettori pondering Gold Cup choice

Now the irrepressible Italian has to decide whether to stay loyal to Kite Wood, or switch to Darley Sun, in next week's Ascot Gold Cup – the centrepiece of the five-day meeting that begins on Tuesday.

Dettori has won the Gold Cup four times previously with Drum Taps (1992, '93), Kayf Tara (1998) and Papineau (2004), but is genuinely split between the two horses in a race that is wide open following the retirement of the record-breaking Yeats who won the last four renewals of the Gold Cup.

Kite Wood stepped up to nearly two miles when reappearing this season with a narrow defeat of Kasbah Bliss in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier but will be trying an extra four furlongs at Royal Ascot.

The Italian knows the distance should not be a problem for Darley Sun, impressive winner of the Cesarewitch for David Simcock last term and third on his Godolphin debut in Sandown's Henry II Stakes.

"Darley Sun is a guaranteed stayer while Kite Wood has the class but he might not stay," conceded Dettori. "I haven't decided which I'm going to ride and I won't decide until later on."

However, Dettori believes it will take a smart performance to defeat his King's Stand Stakes mount Nicconi. The Australian sprinter has a formidable record over five furlongs, winning the Coolmore Lightning Stakes at Flemington in January, and trainer David Hayes booked the former champion jockey to ride him some time ago.

Nicconi is the general 4-1 favourite for Tuesday's race and is entered in Saturday's Golden Jubilee Stakes, but Dettori says it is unlikely he will contest both races.

"David Hayes booked me a few weeks ago and I rode him on Tuesday morning.

"I was very pleased and I wouldn't swap him for anything else," said Dettori.

"He's the best Australian sprinter and I'm not sure there's anything about in Europe.

"He has come from a different part of the world and flown for 24 hours.

"That's a big deal, but if he runs his race he'll take all the beating."

TRAINER Howard Johnson and his recently departed stable jockey, Denis Regan, have once again proven to be the most successful combination at Yorkshire jump courses in 2009-10.

County Durham-based Johnson secured the trainers' title in Yorkshire for the fifth consecutive season, this time with a tally of 15 winners.

His nearest rivals were Donald McCain junior (10), Ferdy Murphy (9) and Sue Smith (8).

It was a close contest in the jockeys' category, with O'Regan taking the jockeys' award for the second time, posting 12 winners on the Yorkshire tracks, one ahead of Keith Mercer.

O'Regan is unlikely to be a contender next season – the latest reports suggest that he will ride as a freelance in the South next season.

In a separate competition, based on a points system for places obtained and races completed, Ryan Mania won the Tom Halliday Memorial Trophy for being the leading Conditional rider during the season on the Yorkshire courses.

Mania is the fifth recipient of this annual award presented in memory of the young Yorkshire Conditional rider who died as a result of injuries sustained in a fall when riding at Market Rasen in July 2005.

THIRSK trainer Bryan Smart is confident the drop in trip will not trouble Distinctive as she heads to Ireland to contest the Ballyogan Stakes at Leopardstown today.

The daughter of Tobougg won twice as a juvenile and after showing promise to finish sixth in the Nell Gwyn on her seasonal reappearance, she ran a fantastic race in the 1000 Guineas coming home fifth.

"I thought she ran a cracker in the Guineas and we were well pleased with her," explained Smart.

"She's dropping back to six furlongs but I think she showed enough speed last year to suggest that shouldn't be a problem."