|
 On
Saturday, 6 November, the closing day of the 2004 Flat racing
season, cheeky Italian Frankie Dettori landed his third jockeys’
Championship following a fantastic season in which he rode
a staggering 192 winners.
Taking the title
for a third time, having been Champion in 1994 and 1995, the
charismatic jockey was thrilled to be racing’s number 1 again.
He said, “Its nine years since I last did it so I’m chuffed
to bits to be Champion again.”
Frankie had the
Championship sewn up prior to today, having drawn 15 winners
clear of his major rival Kieren Fallon who finished the season
as runner-up on a total of 177 winners.
Frankie commented,
“Every time you’re Champion it’s special, but this one’s very
special, as I’d forgotten what it felt like”. Looking forward
to next season, the new champion will be out to retain his
title, adding, “I know it’s going to be very hard to win it
again and Kieren’s going to be hard to beat, but I’ll be trying!”
The Championship
had looked as though it would be fought to the wire, but with
a month to go Dettori forged clear of Kieren and built up
a big enough gap to force Fallon to concede the title. Dettori
said of his competition, “I’ve got some great competition
and for the last seven Kieren has set some unbelievable standards.
Kieren, Darryll Holland and Seb Sanders went hammer and tongs
and all those guys deserve it as much as I do.”
Frankie collected
the Champion Jockeys’ trophy from Kieren at a presentation
at Doncaster on Saturday. He had two rides, both finishing
second, and spent the remainder of the day with his closest
family and friends on a rented red double-decker bus. The
celebrations were fully deserved of a man who has lit up the
2004 Flat season.
See Frankie in
action during 2005 at one of Britain’s 59 racecourses. Visit
www.britishhorseracing.com
for more news and information or to book tickets.
Frankie
Dettori (flat)
2004 Championship: 192 wins*
Born: December 15, 1970
Nationality: Italian
Regular Jockey for: Godolphin
Height: 5ft 5ins
Riding Weight: 8st 6lbs * (as of November 1) |
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Racing Background
- Frankie's father,
Gianfranco, was one of the greatest Italian jockeys. Amongst
his successes were the 1975 and 1976 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
- Frankie started
his apprenticeship in Newmarket, in 1985, with fellow Italian
Luca Cumani.
- The following
winter he returned to Italy and rode 17 winners.
- His first UK
winner was Lizzy Hare, and was achieved on June 9, 1987
at Goodwood. However, his first ever career win was on Rif
in 1986, at the Italian racecourse of Turin.
- In 1990, Frankie
rode 100 winners in a season (the first teenager to do so
since Lester Piggott). He also won his first Group 1 race,
with a masterful ride on Mark of Distinction in the Queen
Elizabeth II Stakes, at Ascot.
- By the summer
of 2003, Frankie had won a phenomenal 298 Group races, including
116 Group 1, 86 Group 2 and 96 Group 3.
- Dubai Millennium,
who won nine out of ten races during his racing career,
including The Prince of Wales's Stakes and the Dubai World
Cup in 2000, is the best horse that Frankie has ever ridden
and also his personal favourite.
- Frankie's 'Magnificent
Seven', achieved at Ascot on 28 September 1996, is his greatest
racing memory. On this day he won all seven races on the
card, at the staggering odds of 6,720/1.
- Within racing,
Frankie has great respect for highly successful owner and
brain behind the Godolphin team, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum.
- Frankie has
been fortunate on the track and has incurred no significant
racing injuries. However, in 2000 he was involved in a serious
aircraft accident, whilst travelling to Goodwood racecourse
with Ray Cochrane. The aircraft crashed, killing the pilot
and leaving Ray seriously injured. Frankie was lucky to
escape with only minor injuries.
Other Hobbies
and Interests
- Frankie plays
golf during his spare time, with a handicap of 18.
- He supports
Arsenal and Juventus football teams, as well as his national
football team, Italy.
- If Frankie
could be anyone else in sport, he would choose to be Formula
1 driver Michael Schumacher.
- His star sign
is Sagittarius.
- He enjoys listening
to music by Coldplay, and his favourite film is 'The Green
Mile'.
- Frankie's all-time
hero is Ayrton Senna.
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