Frankie Dettori Interview: November Horse Racing News
We recently caught up with our Global Racing Ambassador Frankie Dettori, and sat down with him to discuss the upcoming racing season, his latest tips and insights, and all the latest news from the world of horse racing.
Read on to see what the world greatest jockey had to say and as you place your bets on the upcoming horse racing events here on Stake Sportsbook.
How long has this been going on and what's been the trigger for it?
I have got to know Kia [Joorabchian, Amo Racing] more and more as he has horses in America. We just had a chat and it is going to suit both parties.
I will be the brand ambassador for Amo Racing and will help him out in that way. Also, it was good for me because at some stage, I had to retire.
It is good that I have something to fall back on, get my teeth into and stay involved in the sport that I love. It has worked out brilliantly.
Are you Frank Sinatra or Frank Dettori? You keep retiring and coming back!
Listen, I kept my word! I retired in Europe and I did two lovely years in America which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I've come to the end of my career, I can’t ride forever and it's great that Amo Racing has asked me to be their brand ambassador. This has just fitted in perfectly.
How would you reflect on your two years in America?
It was extremely successful in the first year. This year has been a bit of a stop and start. Things didn't fall right like the year before, but overall, it’s been good. I have managed to win two Group One races this year and we have still got this weekend [the Breeders’ Cup meeting] to go.
I have held my own in America and I am pleased with what I achieved. Overall, satisfactory! I think I did okay.
There is never a dull day in Frankie land, is there? Is this for real? You certainly like surprising people…
I'm glad it’s out there because it has been hard to keep a secret for so long and no, I am not coming back again!
What do you consider your greatest ever ride?
The one which comes to mind I guess is Golden Horn in the Arc.
The favourite horse you ever rode?
It has got to be Enable and Fujiyama Crest, the last winner of ‘The Magnificent Seven.’
He was the one who broke the record, he lived in my house for another 15 years, so it was great.
Talking about the seventh winner, next year is the 30th anniversary. Will you be marking that in any way?
That was a very important day of my life. It launched me not just as a jockey, but to people who didn't know about racing. I'm very grateful for the day. I rode my first winner in 1990 and that’s 35 years ago. When you add up the years, you feel, ‘Wow, that is a long time.’
To be honest, I’d forgotten all about it before you just mentioned it. I'm sure somebody will come up with some sort of dinner or something.
The best trainer you ever rode for and why?
The one with whom I had the most wins was Saeed bin Suroor. I did 18 years with him. I had 110 Group One’s for Godolphin.
John Gosden and I then spent nine years together and we were very successful. We won everything together. Those two are possibly the two trainers that I spent most time and was most successful with.
Is there one race you look back on thinking, that one got away?
My main regret was I never won the Melbourne Cup. I came close twice but I can’t turn the clock back.
Were you hoping to get a ride this year? You asked Chris Waller if he had a spare ride to give you a text, didn’t you?
Listen, it's very hard to participate in a race that is the other side of the world. It was always highly unlikely. I mean this year Johnny Velasquez is going with an American horse, he brought his own horse with him.
No one has a perfect career but if you asked me which one got away, I would definitely say the Melbourne Cup.
Apart from your incredible seven timer, what's your main career highlight?
I would say winning six Prix de L’Arc de Triomphes. That's a pretty hard thing to do with some amazing horses. All the champions I rode in the race were pretty remarkable. I'm pretty proud of that record. I’m sure somebody else will break it at some stage, but at the moment it's still mine.
Your favourite track outside the UK?
My top three tracks are Ascot, Longchamp and Santa Anita, in that order.
If you were able to sum up your career in three words, what would they be?
I would say exciting, successful and passionate. I've been very passionate about what I did all my career and hope people enjoyed it.
Has it been an emotional decision, because this really is it apart from a few rides for pleasure in South America. Has it been emotional coming to terms with the fact that this really is it?
Yes, to be honest with you, in a way it's kind of lifting a weight off my shoulder.
I knew I had to stop at some stage.
You can't get any bigger than that. Of course I'm going to try to win, but it's not going to spoil my retirement if I don't win. But I thought that's the way to actually close this chapter in front of an audience that has been cheering me on all these years. I think it's a very appropriate place to finish.
Was the body telling you enough was enough?
Of course, Father Time is catching up and of course there is wear and tear on the body. But, like I said, finding this job made my decision much easier.
Talking of the Breeders' Cup, we've got 14 races, 12 Grade Ones, $33 million prize money. Is there anything like it in the world, the Breeders' Cup?
When I started the Breeders’ Cup it was like the Ryder Cup, very much Europe versus America. The dynamic has changed with the Japanese for instance, but originally for me it was us versus them. Europe versus America. There was a lot of friendly animosity!
I always felt like as a jockey, I was representing my jockey colony of Europe. So, I always got myself really up for it, a bit like Ian Poulter. I was representing Europe, not myself. To me, winning or losing was a big thing. I always live for that moment in the Breeders’ Cup.
I’ve had some successful ones, had some mess ups with Swain for example, but overall, I loved this rivalry that we have and that's why I always excelled.
It really got me going a little bit higher than I usually do for all those reasons, more personal and I felt a responsibility that I had to do well for everybody.
For the uninitiated, what's the difference riding on dirt and turf?
Dirt is very fast. It’s a bit like ice skating. If you stop or slide it's very hard to get going again. Whereas on grass you can stop and start because horses get a better grip on the grass. Horses can accelerate where dirt racing is more of a constant high speed.
Do you know how many rides you might have over the next two days?
I've got three on Friday and three on Saturday. All interesting. I know they might have long odds. But I drew quite well and Del Mar is an extremely tight track, so you need a lot of luck in running. Let's hope we can bang one in on my last day.
Where does the Breeders' Cup compare with Royal Ascot?
When we talk about European racing, Royal Ascot is the ultimate. Then when we talk about American racing or globally, the Breeders’ Cup is special. The Kentucky Derby probably attracts a bigger audience than the Breeders’ Cup. But that's only one race. But the Breeders’ Cup has 14 championship races in two days. It's very high up there with the best international meeting.
And just a word about Stake. They've been a great partner for you over the past year or so. They're big in sports, in football, in F1, UFC. A word about them and your partnership with them.
I am just so grateful that they chose me to be their ambassador for racing. To pick me as their representative for all racing is a great honour.
I'm super happy with that. I hope they’re happy with me too!
What's the banter like in American weighing rooms?
I was kind of in the European corner with Umberto Rispoli and Antonio Fresu. Then when I moved to Kentucky I had Ben Curtis, Irish, James Graham, Irish, Declan Cannon, Irish, so I was in a bit of an English Irish corner. Then you have the French corner.
There are a lot of cultures. Then you have the Puerto Ricans, and you have the South Americans, it’s a very mixed bunch.
You don't get half an inch from anyone, it’s super competitive. At the end of the day, it's a very dangerous sport.
Probably the one thing that I will miss when I walk out of the weighing room is all the banter over all these years. When you walk into the weighing room it’s a timeless place. Everybody feels the same age from the 16 year old kid who has just started and to some old fella like me at 54. There is no age comparison.
What do you think your emotions will be after your third race on Saturday?
I will be happy and sad, but I don't think I'm going to be too bad. I'm already thinking about my next step and what I have to look forward to.
Can you give us three tips for the Breeders' Cup?
I like Nitrogen in the Distaff. I think Outfield with Wesley Ward can do really well in the Juvenile Turf and I hope I can win on Wimbledon Hawkeye in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. But I think if Minnie Hauk turns up, she was second in the Arc, she'd be very hard to beat.
How would you have reacted if someone had called you out like Maureen Haggas did to Zac Purton for his ride on Lake Forest at Randwick when she called him a ‘big sissy’?
It actually put a smile on my face when I read the whole thing. But I’m not going to get involved!
How have you followed Arsenal's fortune from America?
I have a subscription. There's a few valets in New York who all follow football. We try to put it on in between races. I think Arsenal are doing extremely well. I don't want to jinx it, but we're going in the right direction.
As an Italian, do you have an allegiance to a team in Serie A?
I support Juventus. They have just got a new manager, Luciano Spalletti. I don't know how that's going to go. I'm going to keep an eye on it. But for a big club like Juventus being in eighth position is quite a surprise.
How much have you missed Italy?
My Mum and Dad and my sister are there and of course you miss family. Now I'm going to be closer to them. I'll have more time to see them. Of course, I miss my own country.
What does Italy mean to you?
I was born in Italy, so it means everything.
Are you worried about the state of racing in Italy?
I've been away so long, I don't really understand the ins and outs. But of course, from afar, it looks like we're going through a bit of a crisis but I'm too far away to have a fair enough opinion about it.
Who was the toughest jockey you were up against in a finish? Who did you respect the most?
I started off with people like Steve Cauthen, Wille Carson, Pat Eddery. Then Michael Kinane came on the scene and then Kieren Fallon. All fantastic jockeys and then in later years, Ryan Moore, William Buick, Oisin Murphy and James Doyle. At every stage of my career I had different competitors, different styles, but overall, they were all very talented, very astute and very strong and very clever in executing tactics and power in the finish.
But is there one who stands out?
I can't single one out because on any given day, they're very hard to beat.
Over the last few years, we've seen lots of massive races like the Everest, the Saudi Cup and the Dubai World Cup. If you could set up a race, over what distance would it be and where would it be?
Racing has never stopped surprising me. When I started, the Arlington Million was like, ‘Wow.’ Now there are so many huge races around the world.
I'm sure it'll be more popping up because in some places racing is super big.
Could you ever see something like a Formula One style Flat racing global series with say ten of the best jockeys competing?
This kind of thing has been mentioned since I started racing more than 30 years ago.
It is very hard to get off the ground because of logistics, countries, and jurisdictions.
There is potential out there, but just getting it all together seems extremely difficult at the moment.
In another life, if you could come back as a different sportsman, what would it be and why?
Well, I wanted to be a footballer when I was a kid. But I was too small, and I wasn't that good. Obviously, football is my passion. But I think the ideal job would have been a golfer because you always play in the sunshine apart from at The Open.
What would be your message to your legions of fans around the world who've watched you, backed you, enjoyed your racing, now that it has come to an end?
I would like to say thanks very much for your support. I've enjoyed interacting with my fans, people that like racing throughout the world and I hope you enjoyed me riding.
I want to say thank you. It's been part of my life for so long, but now it's time to move on. But I'm not going to be too far away. I'm still going to be in the racing world.
Realistically, how long has it [the new role] been in the works?
Since the summer I would say. It is something I have wanted to do.
I could see the fear in the faces of my family and my parents every time I went out to America.
I'm 55 in December so I didn't want to make them suffer much longer. So, it was a great and timely opportunity for me, when this came along, that is opening a new chapter for me.
What does that actually mean? Because in the press release there's talk of you riding in South America.
I always promised my friends in South America that I would go there one day and ride in different countries. I'm in the process of organising it. They're very keen to get me over there.
It is something that I always wanted to do and I'm just in the process of putting it all together. I suspect that in December, January and February I'll be going there to a few countries in South America and visiting as well.
Coming home so to speak must be a relief? You have had quite an itinerant life in America, living in different hotels for weeks at a time.
Look, I did 38 years in England and most of my life has been in England. My family is there. So, to me, it's a natural step. My parents are in Italy so that's much closer. I've closed an amazing chapter and I'm opening a new one. It's all, just like I said, fitted in perfectly at the right time. All the pieces have come together.
