Frankie Dettori Interview: October 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.

You’re proving that you can’t keep a good man down in America, with your big race success on Rebel’s Romance in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby. How satisfying was that, and can we expect to see more of you in the famous Royal Blue for Sheikh Mohammed?

It was very satisfying. As a lot of people know, I worked for Godolphin for 18 years and rode over 110 Group 1 winners for them, so to add another one was really sweet. It was also a privilege to ride such a wonderful, consistent horse like Rebel’s Romance a seven year old who’s won in Hong Kong, Dubai, and now America. I was lucky enough to get the ride, and we won in great style. Horses like him are real fan favourites because they’ve been around so long and keep performing at the top level. I’ve got to take my hat off to the horse himself, but also to Charlie and the team for keeping him at his best every time. So, well done to everyone, and for me, it was an honour to be on board such an iconic horse.

He’s remarkably consistent, especially given all the miles he travels. Do you think there’s something about his personality that helps him handle travelling so well?

Yes, some horses travel better than others, and he’s definitely one of them. He’s just like me, he travels a lot but always turns up and performs! He never seems to run a bad race. I was very proud to have the chance to ride such an iconic horse, as I said before. Now he’s heading for his third Breeders’ Cup, and it would be amazing if he could pull it off.

On the subject of recent successes, how was it to ride Khaadem to victory in the Grade 2 at Keeneland?

Well, he can be a bit of a handful in the gates, or the stalls, as we call them in Europe. I always look forward to riding him, but not so much to the pre-race bit because it can get quite claustrophobic in there. You’d think at nine years old he’d be used to it by now, but no, he’s still ready to kick off! Luckily, it wasn’t too bad this time. He fluffed the start a bit, but that doesn’t matter much because he likes to come from behind. When I turned for home, I couldn’t see many gaps, so I took him wide, and once he started rolling, I knew he was going to get there. It was great for the team. Jim Hay is a good friend of mine, and it’s brilliant to see a horse like Khaadem, a real warrior at nine, still showing his best. He’s got an invite for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, so we’ll roll the dice and give it a go.

So you’ll be on board that day as well if he runs in the Breeders’ Cup?

Yeah, I suspect so. I think Chad Brown likes to have me on him. Those kinds of races, especially this year’s sprint division, there isn’t a dominant, standout sprinter in America right now, so it’s pretty open. He’s definitely got a chance.

Do you think British trainers looking to the US realise that you’re in a unique position being based there, and that’s helping you get more opportunities?

It definitely helps. I know most of the English trainers from my years riding in Britain, and they know I’ve now got plenty of experience in America. So if they don’t already have a retained jockey, I’m often the one they call. I’ve been racing here a while now, I know the form, and I’d say if a horse isn’t already tied to someone else, I’m probably their first choice.

What did you make of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe? Do you think Minnie Hauk was beaten fair and square, or could she have won on a different day with slightly different conditions?

I thought it was an amazing race. On the day, the Aga Khan’s horse prevailed, but the filly ran a superb race. If you take him out of it, she wins by seven! They’re both remarkable animals. It’s great news that he’s staying in training, we always love to see champions come back as four year olds. And Minnie Hauk might be heading to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup, which would be fantastic news. Not great for me, because she’d be my opposition! But good for racing. It was a proper Arc this year, a race worthy of the name.

We’ve got The Everest coming up this weekend, one of the great races with huge prize money, kicking off the spring campaign. How important are races like that, given it’s the richest turf race in the world, with around $7 million in prize money and $3 million to the winner?

I remember when I was a kid, the Arlington Million was the big one no one had ever heard of a race worth a million dollars! It held its appeal for a long time. Then the Breeders’ Cup came along, and we started to see multiple million dollar races. But I never thought I’d see a Saudi Cup worth $20 million, an Everest worth $20 million, or a Dubai World Cup worth $12 million. It’s incredible. The hardest part, of course, is having the right horse to run in them. Apart from the Melbourne Cup, most of the big Australian races are sprints. This year’s Everest doesn’t disappoint either. Everyone’s got their eyes on Ka Ying Rising, who is unbeaten in 16 or 17 starts, though it’s never raced outside Sha Tin. So it’ll be fascinating to see how he handles the test against the Australians. Definitely one to savour.

Ka Ying Rising was third in a trial last week, are you vouching for his chances this weekend, or do you have your eye on someone else?

No, I’m sticking with him. Trials are just that, trials, they’re part of the process. Finishing third was just a step toward being ready for the big day. From what I’ve seen so far, I’m very impressed, so I’m backing him.

We’ve also got the Caulfield Cup in Melbourne coming up. Willie Mullins has Absurde potentially running. How big a pointer is that race for the Melbourne Cup a few weeks later?

It’s one of the major trials, really. It’s run over a shorter distance than the Melbourne Cup, but it’s where the build-up begins. A lot of horses who run well there go into the Melbourne Cup with an even better chance. I’ve been looking through the field and chatting with a few Australian friends, and one on my shortlist is Middle Earth for Sheikh Fahad of Qatar. I remember him from when I was with John Gosden, he came from last to first at York with a brilliant turn of foot. He’s been down there for a while now, acclimatised, and he’d be my pick for the race.

Talking of Melbourne…are you still waiting for that call back from Chris Waller?

Yeah, I’m still waiting! We’ll see what happens. The phone’s been quiet so far, but you never know….maybe after this weekend.

Looking back toward Newmarket and the Tattersalls Book 1 Sale — Amo made quite a splash. Are they on their way to joining the ranks of Godolphin and Coolmore?

There’s a lot of enthusiasm in that team. They’ve bought Freemason Lodge from Sir Michael Stoute and invested heavily in modernising it, buying quality stock, good mares, bringing in young people and a young trainer. They’ve got a bright future. You can’t buy success overnight, but the way they’re going about things, they’re going to be a major force in the years ahead. Definitely one to watch.

Kia Joorabchian has moved into racing from football. Do you think that he’ll be grateful for having moved into racing?

I think the love for football will never go away from him. That’s where his roots are from. He’s been in racing a few years now. Like you see every year, he’s investing more and more. And yeah, it’s great to see. It’s not just two or three owners playing this game now. He’s adding to the pot. And like I said, the way that he’s investing at the moment, you would think that in the near future. He’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

With Champions Day coming up this weekend, Oisin Murphy is set to be crowned Champion Jockey again. In a recent interview, he paid tribute to you as a friend and mentor. How do you see your role in helping him reach this level of success?

Listen, of course I have known Oisin for a long time, I’m close to him too. You have to have a bit of a lull of a run, you know, because you can’t win all the time. So sometimes he reaches out to me and he asks me what he is doing wrong. So I just try to guide him and give him the right things to say at the right time. He’s had an amazing season this year. He rode absolutely brilliantly. So he deserves the championship and in every level, really, not just in the big races, but also in the everyday stuff. He’s a natural rider. Like I said, this year he deserved the championship. He’s one of the best around.

You’re good friends outside the weighing room as well, are you?

Yeah, of course. He’s had his troubles and I don’t judge him for that. Nobody’s perfect. Like I said, if he reaches out to me to give him some guidance, I’m always there for him.

If you had to pick just one quality that makes him such a great jockey, what would it be?

It’s very hard to explain. I think he’s got a good natural pair of hands. I never see horses pulling with him. He always has horses in a good rhythm and tactically he’s very astute. His horsemanship is superb.

On Champions Day itself, how important a day do you think it is in the UK’s flat racing calendar?

It’s super important. Like in every sport, it deserves a grand finale. We deserve a Super Bowl. Look at the races on Saturday, honestly, they are mind blowing.

Do you think that the winner of the Champion Stakes will really showcase them as the best of that division? Or do you think that if the ground is softer than your typical flat season ground, that slightly throws things off?

I guess in the early years of Champions Day, I remember when Frankel won, we were knee deep, but then the last few years when we used the inside track, it made it more of a level playing field, so it wasn’t as soft. But it’s nice to see the great races on the main track on decent ground. We can’t control the weather, but in the last few years, the alternative has been to switch to the side track. It was a great help for everyone. I’m eager to see the big races on Saturday from afar.

Do you think that if we were to get soft ground, that would rule Trawlerman out of a chance to win?

When I won with Trawlerman, it was pretty soft. I’m already being biased, at the moment Trawlerman is the best out there. I know he’s a very surprising favourite, but he’s beaten all these before, and if you’re Trawlerman, then we know he turns up. It’s for him to lose.

Kalpana was arguably a little bit disappointing in the Arc. Do you think that run will have helped or hindered her chances in the Fillies & Mares this time?

Again, I was looking at the field, she was taking on the very best at the Arc. I would say she’d be one of the horses that will be featuring in the finish, that would be one of my selections. You know, she had a couple of seconds running a bit short and I think she deserves to be one of the favorites.

I know that the decision has been made now, but if you were Aidan O’Brien, would you have chosen to run Delacroix in the QE2 or the Champion Stakes?

If you look at the Eclipse, he only just got going at the end. So maybe a mile with a very decent Queen Elizabeth this year, it would have been quite tough. So you try to play your hand in the best possible way. So it makes sense to keep him in the Champion Stakes.

If Economics runs, do you think he will cause an upset, or will he be at a disadvantage from not having raced recently?

Match fitness is a big thing, especially in this kind of competition. It’s like any sportsman, boxer or soccer players, a year off and throwing yourself in the deep end for the first time… I’ve got every respect for Mr Haggas [William, trainer], but with the quality of race that we have this year, it’ll be quite difficult. I’m there to be proven wrong, but my feeling is that it’d be a tough thing to do after a year out.

What would be your leading fancy on the day and a long shot?

I’m a bit boring, right? So I’m going to go for the John Gosden double. Ombudsman in the Champion Stakes to beat Delacroix again. And then I go for my old friend, Trawlerman. That’d be my selection. A long shot that I think could run well, that really loves the track is Docklands. That’s my long shot because you know, Fallen Angel ran superbly last time, she’s taking on colts. It could be a very tactical affair again and Docklands has always run superbly. So that’s my long shot.

What about the Shuka Sho in Japan, a tip for that?

I don’t really follow the Japanese form all the time. So I had to call and look at some replays and I’m going for Embroidery. She’s second favourite. She perhaps ran a bit too far in the Oaks and back to a mile and a quarter, she would be my selection.