On September 23, 1995, Fujiyama Crest, trained by Michael (later Sir Michael) Stoute and ridden by Lanfranco ‘Frankie’ Dettori, made all the running to win the Gordon Carter Handicap by three lengths, at odds of 8/1, off a handicap mark of 79. The following year, on September 28, 1996, he lined up again, off a handicap mark of 86 but, despite not having won in five starts in the interim – and, in fact, having finished tailed off in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle on his most recent outing – was sent off 2/1 favourite. He justified favouritism, too, having been available at 20/1 in the morning, thereby allowing Dettori to complete what became known as his ‘Magnificent Seven’.
The Gordon Carter Handicap was, of course, the seventh and final race at the Festival of British Racing – a forerunner of British Champions’ Day – at Ascot. On that fateful day, Dettori rode all seven winners, Wall Street, Diffident, Mark Of Esteem, Decorated Hero, Lochangel, Fatefully and the aforementioned Fujiyama Crest at cumulative odds of 25,051-1, even at starting price (SP), and nearly ten times those odds at the prices available in the morning. The ‘Magnificent Seven’ reportedly cost high-street bookmakers in excess of £40 million and Dettori said later, “…wherever I went, in every part of the country, I had so many people coming up to me who’d won so much money on that day, and it changed people’s lives, so it’s a very amazing thing.” Joiner Darren Yates, for example, won an eyewatering £550,823 for his £62 stake.
Dettori later confessed that he did not give Fujiyama Crest much of a chance but, with the weight of expectation on his shoulders, set out to make all, as he had the year before. He did just that, but only just; Northern Fleet, trained by Guy Harwood and ridden by Pat Eddery, closed to within a neck at the line, but Fujiyama Crest had done enough to win, albeit all out.