Mohamed bin Hamad Khalifa al-Attiyah’s Baghdad capped the day’s proceedings with a thrilling victory in the King George V Stakes Handicap, even as Frankie Dettori rode his 60th Royal Ascot winner yesterday.
Dettori and trainer John Gosden continued with what has been a successful meeting so far for the duo with Stradivarius taking the Group 1 Gold Cup yesterday.
In the final race of the day, Andrea Atzeni was astride Mark Johnston-trained Baghdad. Atzeni had the three-year-old Frankel colt track early leaders before fighting it out with Jim Crowley-helmed Corgi on the home straight.
Johnston’s ward, however, held on in a close finish that saw Dettori sneak up on the inside on First Eleven for third.
Earlier in the day, Frankie Dettori celebrated his 60th Royal Ascot winner in a memorable sixth Ascot Gold Cup success on Stradivarius.
The 47-year-old Italian was headed briefly in the finishing straight but summoned a final burst out of the John Gosden-trained colt to edge French raider Vazirabad with Irish runner Torcedor, who led into the straight, third.
Victory for Gosden and Dettori was the perfect antidote to the crushing disappointment of their odds-on chance Cracksman getting beaten in Wednesday’s feature race the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
Although Gosden has given Stradivarius the nickname ‘Mickey Mouse’ Dettori summoned up another image of an animal when describing him. 
“He was a lion, he refused to lie down and fought everyone off,” said Dettori. Dettori said Ascot had a special quality about it that sparked something in him.
“I come alive here,” he said. “I think the crowd lifted him. The Gold Cup is the showcase of the week and to ride the first one for John and his wonderful team is very special. “I give them big kisses.”
For Gosden – celebrating his 47th career win at the meeting – said he had to remind Dettori that it wasn’t just him who had won the race. “I had to tell him as he came back to the enclosure that he had been riding a horse,”
“He is a gorgeous horse.”
However, 65-year-old Gosden said despite his gentle ribbing of Dettori, he had special abilities too. “There was a nasty fake news story that he was going to retire around the Epsom Derby,” said Gosden.
“However, he is still riding with hunger and enjoying it.
“He is a great family man but he said to me the other day I am going to ride for another five years. if Mike Smith can win the Triple Crown aged 52 (on Justify this year) then I see no reason why I can’t carry on.”
Vazirabad’s trainer Alain de Royer Dupre was delighted with the performance of his runner and said he might well come back next year and even the Goodwood Cup later this season might be on the agenda.
“I am very proud of him, he is a wonderful horse,” said de Royer Dupre.