Ascot hope Dettori factor will be at Shergar Cup meeting

Ascot racecourse will today send out a call to Frankie Dettori, asking the ever-popular Italian to take part in Saturday's Shergar Cup.

Despite the meeting not always proving a winner with the purists, tickets have already sold out for the Premier Enclosure and a crowd of well over 25,000 is expected to attend.

Dettori has taken part in the competition almost every year since its inception 10 years ago and his participation is sure to create further interest among a crowd which inevitably includes a proportion of once-a-year racegoers.

The 39-year-old had been expected to miss the meeting, in order to ride Gladiatorus in the Arlington Million in Chicago on the same day, but a bruised foot saw Godolphin's intended runner miss his flight to the US on Friday.

Ascot spokesman Nick Smith said: "We heard a whisper that Gladiatorus wasn't going to travel but we didn't want to interrupt Frankie's weekend so we will be making contact with him as soon as we can today to sort arrangements out.

"He's a popular sportsman and his presence at the meeting always adds to the star quality on show."

In the past, Dettori has represented both Britain and Europe, as well as competing for the Rest of the World against Britain when the competition had a two-team format.