Frankie Dettori Interview: September 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.

Ryan Moore has been ruled out for the season - did you ever ride injured?

Yes! I fell in the paddock trying to hold on to the horse, I had a little crack and tried to ignore it, then I went grey trying to ignore the pain! I had Shutter Speed in the Prix De Diane and then had Royal Ascot but I didn’t ride.

I didn’t say anything, I rode Shutter Speed with basically one arm and managed to finish third. Then I went back to the weighing room, I couldn’t put my socks on and I thought “I am in trouble here.”

I then went on Monday to Cambridge and the guys said I wouldn't be riding at Ascot as I had a hairline fracture in my shoulder. In a spot where all the muscles and tendons are, so luckily I didn't need to have an operation.

It was a massive blow to miss Ascot as I missed four winners - Big Orange, Stradavarius, Coronet and can't remember the fourth one - but what can you do?

Was that the most serious injury you rode with?

Riding with a broken shoulder wasn’t fun! The cracked ribs were probably even worse, but that was awful.

I think this is the second time for Ryan. Four or five years ago he won the King George and the Sussex within three days while riding with a broken hip. He then had a big operation with screws put in, so this is the second time he’s come back riding with a stress fracture.

He must have an incredible pain threshold, he’s super tough. I was watching York and saw the awful fall with Jim Crowley and Trevor Whelan. I knew straight away it was bad. Both of them have broken legs and aren’t in good shape. It’s been a sad week for the jockeys.

In flat racing, with the ground being harder and the speeds higher, does that make the falls worse?

You never know when it is going to come but it does hurt. When you have a fall, you just hope you walk out of it with as little injury as possible but it is the nature of the sport. You aren't always going to stay on and eventually you are going to have a fall. But you can’t look at life like that because you can step out of your house and get run over by a bike. The sport is dangerous but it is exciting too, you don’t look at the consequences, you just get on it.

You can crash your car at any point, there is danger everywhere. We do this because we love it and the excitement just overrides all the other risks.

Talking about Ryan Moore - is he the world’s best?

Absolutely, he’s at the top and riding with extreme confidence. You need the horses, of course, but he’s won some incredible races, most notably the Prix du Jockey Club in France, and the Eclipse was amazing too. Sometimes he does things that only a jockey of his caliber and confidence can execute. At the moment he is one of the best, if not, the best in the world.

I get on really well with Ryan. Don’t forget, for the last 15 years we have been travelling the world together, and when it is just you and him travelling, you make that bond together. He is actually a very funny man with a dry sense of humour. We have the same passion, we both follow Arsenal and yeah, we get on really well.

I have spoken to him since - he is on the mend. It is extremely boring staying at home but I know his four kids will be keeping busy, but he wants to be out there and riding.

One man's misfortune opens the door for others - has Aidan O’Brien spoken to you about potentially riding for him?

I’ll be honest, cheekily I texted him saying don’t forget me at Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup - he said thank you, he didn’t say yes! We still have eight weeks left so anything can happen. Maybe Ryan will be back by then, but I thought I would throw my name into the hat!

Can we reflect on your Nashville Derby win?

Tim Gredley is a good friend of mine, we were neighbours for 18 years, and Bill Gredley as well. He reached out for the ride, and sentimentally I was very happy to take it. The horse had excellent form, too. The only thing that worried me was that he’d been racing nonstop since the spring, in the Craven, the Guineas, the Dante and at Ascot, yet he never missed a beat.

When I went to see him, he was not a super big or imposing horse, he is quite the feminine type actually, light, but he traveled really well. His best weapon is that he stays really well.

Only one came out of the pack, but for a horse that has run so many times, he still had plenty of energy left and held the lead. It was very emotional, notably as myself and Tim both had recently lost our friend Duncan, just a few weeks before the race.

When he did pass away, I had thoughts in my mind that I didn’t want to carry on riding, I was devastated. If it wasn’t for him and his strength then I would not have carried on. It was a difficult experience but it was also a big, big moment for us.

Duncan was a friend of mine for many years. We met in Dubai and he loved his racing. When my wife couldn't come, he used to be a good substitute. We travelled the world, from Melbourne to the Breeders Cup. He was a mate and we shared a love of racing together so it was a massive loss.

Then what about the four-timer the next day?

I looked at the card and I had nine rides, mix and match, and different trainers. They were all confident and I just went along with it. I actually rode extremely well that day, most of them I won in a photograph. It was a really good day.

Nashville is probably one of the closest US tracks you can get to a European track. You have to think outside the box a bit, they move the rail every day so it is more of a thinking track, which is what I like. I handled it really well and I enjoyed the moment.

How does this day rank in your US career so far?

I’ll be honest - I went to Saratoga to show my face and let people know I was looking for rides here. It was a very long summer; I had maybe two winners from 18 rides in two months. But when I left, I hoped my logic would pay off in getting those rides, and it has, with those winners in the last few days. Even though I had to suffer through the summer, I managed to get the rides I wanted. It would have been much more difficult to secure them if I had stayed in California.

And how has it helped your profile?

It is important. Like I said, I had eight on Monday and had seven on Wednesday, so I am quite popular now at this track. We still have one more meeting left and it would be nice to finish it as leading rider, but we will see what happens.

James Owen, a dual-purpose trainer of Wimbledon Hawkeye - how important is it for a British trainer to win in America?

The majority of races are on the turf, so we have that little advantage. Obviously, people like James Owen and Tim Gredley see that when you’re competing against Coolmore, Juddmonte, and Godolphin. Sometimes, if you look further afield, you can race for quadruple the prize money with less competition - it just makes sense. Of course, he still has to be a good trainer with a horse that travels well and performs at his best once he gets here. It was a really good effort from James and his team. To bring a horse over after a full campaign in Europe and still have him run like that is impressive.

Tim was trying to get me to come to Nashville and celebrate with him, but the next day I had eight or nine rides, so I passed on that. Back in the day, I would have gone in a heartbeat, but I don’t enjoy riding with a hangover anymore. I stayed quiet, had the four-timer the next day, and then my wife and I went to Nashville afterward to go out with a few friends.

Would you put your hand up for Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa in the Melbourne Cup?

I wouldn't mind giving it another go. I haven't spoken to him, he has his own jockeys, but I did corner Chris Waller at Royal Ascot and said to him to “listen dont forget me”, as he will probably have six in the Melbourne Cup.

Golfer Lee Westwood said British racing is taking the mick with its low prize money and high fees everywhere else - does he have a point?

We’ve been saying this for the last 30 years, and of course he has a point. All you have to do is look at every other country. We still have the best product, namely our horses and tracks in Britain, but it doesn’t make sense that everywhere else is running for much more money. I don’t know how to fix it, but he’s right.

The last Classic of the season is coming up with the St Leger - what is Doncaster like as a track?

It’s a lovely, fair track, and the Leger really puts the emphasis on stamina. For a long time, not many people even attempted the Triple Crown, but Camelot came the closest anyone has since. It’s the oldest Classic, steeped in tradition, and I remember one year when the first five home were all incredible Group 1 winners. I don’t think it will disappoint this Saturday.

What demands does it take out of a horse to campaign through the summer for the Triple Crown?

It takes a champion, really. You have to survive the season, then you have to go the longest you have ever gone in your life, that is why it is so hard to do. Tradition should continue though, looking at that field, if Lambourn runs you have a dual-Derby winner, so let's hope he turns up.

You have won it six times….

Yes, for five different trainers. Classic Cliche was my 1,000th winner, and Shantou was my first for John Gosden. Conduit was my first for Sir Michael Stoute, he’d tried with Lester Piggott and all the best jockeys, but in the end a little Italian man managed to do it for him!

Then there was Sixties Icon for Jeremy Noseda, Scorpion for Aidan O’Brien, which also marked the start of the Coolmore–Godolphin rivalry and landed me in a bit of hot water at the time, and later Logician, who absolutely bolted up.

I’d say Conduit was probably the best. He went on to win the Breeders’ Cup and the King George, he was a proper horse. With the St Leger, you don’t get a silver trophy, you get the iconic hat. It’s like a helmet cover, a really special tradition.

Does the race have the same stature as it used to?

If Lambourn turns up, you won’t find many better than a dual Derby winner...but I don’t think he’s going to win this.

I really like Scandinava. We know he stays, and he hasn’t been campaigned the hardest way through Derbys and the like, so he comes into the race with a strong profile. He would be my pick at the moment.

What do the next few months look like for you?

I am going to Canada this weekend and then I suspect I will do a little bit of Churchill Downs until we get to Keeneland, then I expect I will stay there until the Breeders’ Cup - after that, I don’t know if I will stay in California or go to the East Coast.

How do you assess your first couple of years in the States?

Listen, I was meant to retire, but I extended it. This has all been new to me, and I’ve really enjoyed discovering not just the tracks but the country itself, exploring on my days off. Of course, I miss the kids at home and the big races back in England, but overall it’s been very positive and I’m satisfied. I don’t have anything left to prove, but I’m enjoying it. I don’t know how long I’ll carry on, but I’m ticking along nicely.

The UK flat season is coming to a close - who has stood out for you?

I thought John’s horse, Field Of Gold, was probably the horse of the year until he got injured. Winning the Irish Guineas and the St James’ Palace was sensational.

There have been some great races, the Eclipse for example with Ombudsman, who’s been improving rapidly. We’ve also seen some outstanding two-year-olds; Venetian Sun looked incredible. There have been plenty of strong performances, and it will be fascinating to see the Arc, followed by Champions Day.

This weekend is huge as well, with the Irish Champion and the Leger, multiple Group 1s in Ireland, and trials in France, all leading up to Arc weekend.

What part of the US have you enjoyed off the track?

I’ve done all the touristy things. I went to Montreal and Boston, exploring lots of history and culture that I never thought I’d be interested in. Even places like Graceland, the Johnny Cash Museum and Joshua Tree in California. I’m trying not to just spend all my time riding horses. I want to explore as much as I can, and it’s all been fun.

I’ve also been doing a lot of driving. I drove from Saratoga to Kentucky, which took me two days, stopping at random petrol stations in the middle of nowhere. It’s really different. I’m not as well-known here as I am in England, so I’m just a normal tourist traveling around.

What have you made of Arsenal’s start to the Premier League season?

Not bad. I watched the Liverpool game and it was very cagey, it took a great goal to break it open. We’ve got a big squad, though a couple of injuries haven’t helped, but we’re looking OK. We’ll be in a good place.

When I was a teenager, Willie Ryan took me to my first football match. It was a 1–0 win to the Arsenal under George Graham. Most of the players were English and into racing, specifically David O’Leary and Paul Merson, therefore we had a connection. I used to go into the players’ lounge and mix with these great players.

Unfortunately for me, Gianfranco Zola came along afterwards, and Gianluca Vialli was one of my heroes, too. I could easily have ended up a Chelsea fan, but by then I was already deep in with Arsenal!

George Baker is going on Made In Chelsea - any more reality TV for you?

One thing’s for sure, he’s got the posh accent! I like George and I’ve ridden a couple of winners for him. He’s enthusiastic and good fun.

But regarding reality TV, I’ve already done most of them and stretched them all out. The only one left is Strictly, but I’ve got two left feet, so I wouldn’t do it even if they asked!