THERE is no better crowd pleaser at Ascot than Frankie Dettori, even more so when he wins a big race on an outstanding horse, writes Dave Wright.

So it was no surprise that an almighty roar from the packed stands greeted his memorable victory in the historic King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored By Qipco) on Saturday.

He was aboard 5/4 favourite Enable, who was following up her victory in both the Epsom and Irish Oaks this season.

The Italian jockey had missed Royal Ascot due to injury and returned to the saddle several weeks earlier than doctors had told him.

Knowing he would be aboard a special horse proved a major incentive and he also lost 7lb last week to make sure he made the weight of 8st 7lb, the bottom weight of the 10-strong field that went to post for the Group 1 contest over a mile and a half.

The John Gosden-trained three-year-old took a keen hold early in the race, but was always handily placed and Enable swept into the lead more than two furlongs out to win by four and a half lengths from Ulysses, ridden by Jim Crowley.

Dettori described the filly as a “superstar”, adding: “It means a lot to me, I missed the whole of Royal Ascot and to come back to the place I love so much, it’s great. She’s as good as I’ve ridden.”

Trainer Gosden said: “Frankie has worked hard, the hunger is still there which is wonderful at his age.

“I envisaged her (Enable) being a nice horse. Did I think she would win two Oaks and a King George? Probably not, because no trainer believes that, otherwise we’d make fools of ourselves.”

Enable is now likely to be aimed for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly in October and Sky Bet cut her price from 9/2 to 2/1.

While Enable was a well-backed winner, few punters collected after the Gigaset International Stakes as the shock winner was 50/1 Stamp Hill, ridden by Paul Hanagan and trained by Richard Fahey in North Yorkshire.

“We always thought he had the ability, but I think the combination of blinkers first time and the ground helped him so much,” said Hanagan.

Not surprisingly, the Ascot Stewards asked for an explanation for the apparent improvement of Stamp Hill compared with its previous run at Newmarket when finishing last of 18, but they accepted the explanation that the gelding benefited from the first time application of blinkers.

It was a good day for Yorkshire trainers as Karl Burke completed a double with 7/1 shot Raydiance (ridden by Crowley) in the Wooldridge Group Pat Eddery Stakes and 5/1 favourite Georgian Bay (with Katie Walsh aboard) in the Longines Handicap, a race for lady amateur riders.

Walsh, however, was found guilty of using her whip above the permitted level and received an 11-day suspension.

Mark Johnston, also Yorkshire based, won the Class 1 Princess Margaret Juddmonte Stakes with the 2/1 jolly, Nyaleti, the mount of Ryan Moore.

Newmarket trainer Charlie Appleby saddled a double for Godolphin courtesy of 8/1 D’bai in the Porsche Handicap and 2/1 favourite Royal Associate in the Canisbay Bloodstock Handicap, both ridden by William Buick.