Harry Cobden on Good Morning Britain? Why racing needs a proper marketing budget now more than ever

Are you missing him yet?

Some of racing’s hardcore fan base grew weary of the Frankie Dettori ‘retirement’ tour last year, but his absence is being firmly felt and has put racing’s drifting status within mainstream culture under the microscope more than ever this summer. 

Even into his 50s, Dettori remains a headline-making machine and the de-facto face of the sport. Guest columnist Marcus Townend recently wrote in these pages about the ongoing struggle racing faces in earning its spot in traditional and online media. Without Dettori to carry the coverage, major fixtures like the Derby and Royal Ascot have slipped further down the mainstream agenda.