From Ascot brilliance to Arc perfection: the ten greatest rides of Frankie Dettori's glittering career

Markofdistinction

Frankie Dettori came of age in 1990 when he finished fourth in the jockeys’ championship and became the first teenager to ride 100 winners in a season since Lester Piggott in 1955.

He showed he had what it took to prevail on the biggest of occasions through his efforts on Markofdistinction, a high-class miler who needed strong pace and waiting tactics – as he showed when giving his rider a first Royal Ascot success in the Queen Anne Stakes.

However, that was only a Group 2 in those days and it was back at Ascot in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in September that Dettori really proved himself.

He had the confidence to hold the four-year-old up well off the fierce gallop set by Steve Cauthen on Shavian, timed things perfectly to move into a challenging position in the straight and got the better of a duel with Pat Eddery on Distant Relative to score by a length.

Of course, Frankie being Frankie, no sooner had he ridden his first Group 1 winner than he immediately doubled his tally on Shamshir in the following Fillies’ Mile.

Fujiyama Crest

Amid a host of wins in Classics and Group 1 races worldwide, it is success in a Class C 0-95 handicap for which Dettori may best be remembered in 100 years’ time.

For what happened at Ascot on September 28, 1996 had never happened before and is highly unlikely to be repeated in the next century. Or two.

Frankie had ridden the first six winners at the showpiece meeting and huge betting liabilities ran on to Fujiyama Crest, a morning 12-1 shot who had not run for three months, in the closing Gordon Carter Handicap.

Crest of a wave: Dettori is overjoyed, the bookies not so much, as he comes back in on Fujiyama Crest, the last of his Magnificent SevenCredit: Phil Smith

The topweight started 2-1 favourite and was sent straight to the front by his understandably confident rider who had the nous to give him a breather at halfway and the strength to hold off a determined Pat Eddery on Northern Fleet in the final furlong and win by a neck.

That narrow victory changed his life as the Magnificent Seven made him a star – had Fujiyama Crest been caught close home, it is unlikely Dettori would have been presenting Top Of The Pops the following Thursday.

Daylami

Few defeats hurt Dettori more than that of Swain in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in 1998.

Not just because he was denied victory in the biggest race at the biggest meeting in the world by less than a length but also because the way his mount hung across the track under strong driving earned him a virtual lynching in the American media.

The only way to silence the critics was to return 12 months later and show the locals the real Frankie. Which is just what he did.

Top-class form though he had shown, Daylami was a big, powerful grey who looked far from certain to be suited by the sharp 7f circuit at Gulfstream Park in Florida, where all the European challengers had been beaten the previous twice the Breeders’ Cup had been staged there.

Yet Dettori had him up with the pace and travelling strongly from the off in the 1m4f Turf, sent him on inside the final furlong and scored by two and a half lengths, breaking his silence to shout “What about Swain now?” as they returned in triumph.

Dubai Millennium

The pressure is really on when you ride in the richest race in the world, for the man in charge, and you partner a horse so special that his owner named him after the place.

The homebred four-year-old had already more than justified Sheikh Mohammed’s decision to call him Dubai Millennium rather than the originally chosen Yaazer, winning seven of his first eight races including a six-and-a-half-length romp in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in 1999.

But the Dubai World Cup was the race that really mattered, taking on high-class US dirt horses in his own backyard at Nad Al Sheba in a race that was his owner-breeder’s brainchild.

Sheikh Mohammed greets Dubai Millennium after the 2000 Dubai World CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

Dettori might have been expected to take things carefully with so much at stake yet, having broken quickly from his wide stall, he elected to kick on.

Not only did he set a strong pace in front, he quickened again as they turned from home, destroying the field and passing the post a winner by six lengths and five and a half – despite easing off in the final 50 yards.

Frankie described Dubai Millennium that day as “the best I’ve ever ridden” and it is hard to argue with that verdict even a quarter of a century later.

Fantastic Light

It’s always handy to get a little help from a friend but you need to be in the right place yourself so you can take advantage.

That is how the Irish Champion Stakes panned out in 2001 as Richard Hills set a sensible gallop on Godolphin’s Give The Slip, behind a Ballydoyle pacemaker who went too fast to be of much relevance to the race.

Dettori and Fantastic Light tracked them in third place, which was crucial as it meant he could nip up the inside when his ally offered him a gap on the rail as they turned for home.

That meant he was able to take the shortest path and got first run on big rival Galileo, who had to come wider around the bend.

There was only a head between them at the line and tactics clearly played a huge part in Fantastic Light getting his revenge on the colt who had beaten him in the King George at Ascot.

Alkaased

It’s always good to help out your old boss and Dettori did a big favour for his mentor Luca Cumani in the 2005 Japan Cup.

Frankie had won the race twice before and was just the man for Alkaased, on whom he had landed the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud the only time they had teamed up previously.

Indeed, he may have been the only man who could have extricated the five-year-old from his wide draw to collect one of the biggest 1m4f races in the world.

He did it by riding the canniest of waiting races, deliberately taking a pull from the stalls so that he could grab the rail.

The jockey then gradually weaved his way through the 18-runner field to hit the front a furlong out, keeping just enough in reserve to hold off local star Heart’s Cry by a nose – an effort well worth his percentage of the £1.29 million first prize.

Authorized

Even after nearly 250 years, the Derby still means more than any other race – and failure to win it hurts more than missing out on any other.

By 2007 Dettori was a three-time champion and an MBE and getting sick of reminders that Tamure’s second place 12 years earlier was the closest he had come on the first Saturday in June at Epsom.

So ten days before his 14th ride on Authorized he told a press conference “leave me alone because I need to concentrate” and he got his head down to focus on his date with the colt who had been all the rage since his Dante win.

Authorized: Derby winner for Dettori in 2007Credit: Trevor Jones

Frankie had already conquered Epsom by landing the Oaks three times and he put all the hoopla to one side to deliver the perfect Derby ride.

Sitting well off the strong pace set by Joe Fanning on Kid Mambo, he made his move at just the right time, cruising up to lead over a furlong out and win by an impressive five lengths. What was all the fuss about?

Never Can Tell

The Cesarewitch is a unique race that has presented unique problems since it was first run at Newmarket in 1839.

It is run over fully 2m2f yet there is just one, right-handed turn, making it a severe test of stamina and a nightmare for anyone drawn on the outside, resigned to the handicap of racing wide throughout.

That was probably why Never Can Tell, a Chester winner who was drawn widest of all in 36, was a 25-1 shot in 2011.

But that was ignoring the genius of Dettori, who was allowed free rein to do his own thing by trainer Jamie Osborne and delivered something extraordinary.

He got the filly out quickly and sent her to the front, tacking across all the while, before steering away from her rivals into the centre of the course after they turned for home.

It was totally unconventional and totally brilliant as his mount came home a length-and-a-half winner, chased home by three rivals who started from single-figure stalls.

Golden Horn

You don’t win five Prix de l’Arc de Triomphes at Longchamp without being a total master of a deceptively tricky track.

That was seen to fine effect in 2015, when Dettori was charged with giving John Gosden his first Arc victory on Derby winner Golden Horn, who was supplemented for €120,000 but had to start from wide out in stall 14.

Frankie did the job perfectly, working his way across into a prime spot behind the front-running Shahah, having the confidence to take the lead more than two furlongs from home and having two lengths to spare at the line.

Trawlerman

Even the greatest can fall out of fashion but that is not to say that they cannot still do the job. Incredibly well.

Dettori rode in just three of the first 21 races at the Ebor meeting in 2022, when he was 51 – the same age as York racecourse’s chief executive William Derby.

So it was truly appropriate that he should give Trawlerman a vintage ride to land the Ebor Handicap on the final afternoon.

Trawlerman (left): given a majestic ride by Dettori to win last year's EborCredit: John Grossick

Talk about turning a negative into a positive. Frankie was drawn on the wide outside so rather than fight it he made for the far rail until he moved across to join the main group after five furlongs.

He set a cannily steady pace and once headed over a furlong out he showed the vigour of a man half his age to get the horse back in front on the line. Brilliant stuff.

Read Chris Cook on how Frankie Dettori's Magnificent Seven changed the lives of punters, bookmakers and the man himself in The Big Read, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Members' Club Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday. Click here to sign up.

Read more . . .

Drugs, debacles and a hell of a lot of winners: the highs and lows of Frankie Dettori 

2023 Qipco British Champions Day: assessing Frankie Dettori's five rides on a super Saturday at Ascot 

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