Before Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Frankie Dettori says the mare takes him ‘to places emotionally no other horse has’Most sports fans can remember a moment of high emotion, disappointment or despair when they asked themselves a few questions. Is it really worth it? Why do I bother? Could a brief, giddy high at some unknown point in the future ever be worth the miserable depths of the low that I’m feeling right now? If your sport is racing, then a horse such as Enable has the answers.Enable is not the best racehorse of the past 10 years. That honour falls, beyond any doubt, to Frankel, and will continue to do so, in all likelihood, for decades to come....
The Italian jockey could hardly buy a winner in 2013 but is back at the top of his sport and has the bookies running scaredOnly a tiny number of athletes are so good that they change the way the game is organised. In racing, Arkle is remembered for being so far ahead of his contemporaries that handicappers had to change their approach for races he was due to run in. Alongside him, we can now put Frankie Dettori, who is so talented and so popular that bookmakers have started to change the terms on which they accept wildly optimistic accumulators. Related: Frankie Dettori hails ‘unbelievable’ Enable after Eclipse victory Related: Sea Of Class fights for life after colic attack ends...
Al Shaqab are to pay the famed jockey half as much this year, on the grounds that they expect to have fewer runners in BritainIt’s a terrible thing when middle-aged workers, having given their best years to a company, are tossed on the scrapheap because they’ve risen up the pay scale and become too expensive. Such are my thoughts as I contemplate this news that Frankie Dettori has had his annual retainer cut in half by Al Shaqab. Related: Finian’s Oscar faces breathing operation after dismal Cheltenham effort Lingfield 1.00 Behranell 1.30 Sixty's Belle 2.05 The Game Is A Foot 2.40 Veauce De Sivola 3.15 Lostnfound 3.45 Tara Bridge 4.15 Richardofdoccombe Newcastle 1.20 Cadeyrn (nb) 1.55 My Old Gold (nap) 2.30...
The Italian rider’s booking to ride Toast Of New York next week in the richest race in the world offers him a serious incentive to be as fit and sharp as possible this monthTo no one’s great surprise, given the weather forecast overnight and also for the remainder of the day, Ayr’s meeting over the jumps scheduled for Monday afternoon failed to pass a morning inspection. That leaves Hereford as the only action in daylight, but Kempton will take over with a twilight card at 4.35 which will include Frankie Dettori’s first ride in Britain this year.Dettori has taken just half a dozen rides in Britain in the first month of the year since 2003, not one of which was...
Fascinating Rock is out of Sunday’s Arc, leaving Frankie Dettori with no booked ride in the raceWell, that didn’t last long! Dermot Weld moved yesterday to book Frankie Dettori for Fascinating Rock in Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Today, he took the horse out of the race. Related: Frankie Dettori celebrates the 20th anniversary of his Ascot clean sweep Continue reading...