To anyone with even a passing interest in horse racing, Lanfranco “Frankie” Dettori requires little or no introduction. Born in Milan, Italy, on 15 December 1970, Dettori rode his first winner on British soil, Lizzy Hare, trained by compatriot Luca Cumani, at Goodwood on June 7, 1987, as a 16-year-old apprentice and the rest, as they say, is history.
In a ridng career spanning four decades in Britain, Dettori became champion apprentice in 1989, champion jockey three times, in 1994, 1995 and 2004 and, of course, achieved his unforgettable ‘Magnificent Seven’ when going through the seven-race at Ascot on British Festival of Racing Day in 1996. Having ridden hundreds of winners at the highest level, in just about every racing jurisdiction round the world, including 21 British Classic winners, Dettori embarked on a “farewell tour”.
However, having increased his British Classic tally, courtesy of Chaldean in the 2,000 Guineas and Soul Sister in the Oaks, Dettori decided not to retire after all, but rather to continue his career in the United States. In North America, Grade 1 races are those of the highest calibre, such as the Kentucky Derby, which must carry minimum prize money of $300,000. Following his arrival in California in December 2023, Dettori more or less carried on where he had left off in Britain. Most recently, he has added the Santa Anita Handicap and the Jenny Wiley Stakes, at Keeneland, to his Grade 1 tally Stateside, making 18 winners in all, dating back to 1999.
