Frankie Dettori Epsom Derby Profile

At this stage of Frankie's career there is one race more than any that he would love to win and that the Epsom Derby. In 2004 he thought that he had a great chance on Snow Ridge, which was one of the favouites in the Epsom Derby Betting, however it was not to be. Who knows in 2006 maybe he can break his duck.

Without any question the one day that changed the life of this amazing advertisement for Horse Racing was on the 28th September 1996 where in a career that has witnessed many amazing feats, he outdid himself in riding what we now know as the 'Magnificent Seven'. At Royal Ascot on this great day Dettori rode every winner through an incredibly difficult card. The now famous seven winners were: Wall Street (Cumberland Lodge Stakes), Diffident (Diadem Stakes), Decorated Hero (Tote Festival Handicap), Fatefully (Rosemary Rated Stakes), Lochangel (Blue Seal Conditions Stakes) and Fujiyama Crest (Gordon Carter Handicap). The startling achievement was alleged to have cost the bookmaking industry millions, with many small staked multiple bets yielding returns in their thousands.

Frankie Dettori is one of the most charismatic figures within the environment of modern horseracing. Encouraged by his father (who was an Italian Champion Jockey), Dettori left school and began his rise to fame as a stable boy. A jockey apprenticeship with the Italian trainer Luca Cumani followed and in 1986 he rode his first winner in Turin, aged just sixteen.

The Cumani trained Lizzy Hare was to provide Dettori with his first UK winner in 1987, and within two years he had clinched the title of Champion Apprentice. Aged just nineteen Cumani appointed Dettori as the stable jockey, replacing Ray Cochrane. In 1990 he rode 100 winners in a season, and in the process became the first teenager to do so since Lester Piggott. The same year witnessed his first group one winner bringing home Markofdistinction in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. Derby victories followed, in 1991 aboard Temporal in the German Derby and a year later on Polytain in the French Derby.

The staggering talent at his disposal have provided with Dettori with worldwide success and admiration of millions. Recent years have Dettori compete in England, France, Germany, Italy, U.S.A., Dubai, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan, winning over one hundred group one races in the process. In 1994 an amazing total of 223 winners provided Dettori with the UK Jockey Championship, which he retained the following year.

In June 2000, Dettori's career was almost tragically cut short when he was involved in a fatal plane crash, whilst attempting to leave Newmarket to attend a meeting at Goodwood. Shortly after take off the plane nose-dived killing the pilot, with only quick and brave action by Ray Cochrane saving Dettori from a worse fate. It would take Dettori several months to make a full recovery and return to the racing arena.

As the stable jockey for the powerful Godolphin operation it is inconceivable Frankie Dettori will not have a part to play in this years Derby.