Frankie Dettori is a big name in the horse racing world. While no longer active, his word still means a lot to those close to the sport.
Nowadays, Frankie is working as an Global Racing Ambassador for online casinos and sportsbook Stake, and of course he had a word or two to say about the upcoming Epsom Derby.
It is hard to find a better person to comment on the upcoming event, considering the past success he’s had at the event.
Dettori remains connected to the sport of horse racing, and in this article we’re going to walk you through what the former jockey had to say about the upcoming Derby meeting at Epsom, and opinion on the Race for the Crown series.
Of course, there’s plenty of horse racing news to cover too, in addition to these two subjects.
So, without further ado, let us walk you through the exclusive interview with Frankie Dettori given as the ambassador of horse racing sport for Stake.
What places have you been based in since arriving in the U.S.?
Talking about where he lives as of now, Frankie had an interesting answer. It would appear that the former champion is a bit of a marauder.
Usually, Dettori is located somewhere between California, Florida, and Kentucky, while weekends are reserved for Belmont and Saratoga.
As for current plans, Dettori is planning a weekend getaway to the United Kingdom where he plans to see his kids, and make an appearance at Ascot.
Jokingly, the former Ascot Gold Cup winner said he will visit Ascot as a guest rather than a jockey, and after that he’s heading back to the USA to Saratoga for the next two months.
For Stake’s ambassador Frankie Dettori, America is a place he calls home now, as he started a few business ventures there.
Once the deals in Saratoga are done, it will be time for Kentucky, during the Keeneland month, and Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar after that, concludes Dettori.
Is The USA a New Home?
“No, it is not, as I do not have a permanent living base currently” said Frankie.
For a former Italian jockey who was based in England during his racing career, travelling is the form of life right now.
As an avid fan of the horse racing sport, and the ambassador for it, Dettori is currently following the racing circuit, and is basing his residencies according to that.
As far as the place where he spends the most time during the year; “It is easily California, where I spend at least two months each year,” states former Coronation Cup winner.
What are the main differences in racing on the East Coast vs. the West Coast?
Action is much better on the east remains adamant Global Racing Ambassador Frankie Dettori.
“Of course, more action means more competition, and a harder path to wining”, adds Dettori.
The former Italian jockey said that it is evident that the best jockeys and the best trainers are working in the East.
As far as the West goes Frankie has Santa Anita as his favourite track.
As a West Coast resident, the former Eclipse Stakes winner is being honest when saying that the East has more horses and more coaches, but that the West has their horses for the race too, and that the best ones are coming from Bob Baffert who is also living and working from the West.
With the Derby coming up next week, a race you’ve won twice, how do you see this year’s renewal shaping up? It feels like a particularly open edition
As one could have guessed, Dettori is keeping a close eye on the English racetracks. As someone who spent the majority of his career in the UK, Dettori is keeping up with the English racing.
As a former champion, Frankie knows that after the race the entire event might appear to be straightforward.
Yet, the fun is actually before the race as before the Derby there are always more than one horse running for the title.
If you like to talk about the potential winners and put a few wagers on the races you can bet on latest horse racing events here, and with the Epsom Derby on the horizon this might be as good of a moment as any.
Could Delacroix be the one Moore chooses as he targets a third straight Derby win?
“Yes, I would ride a rock solid horse such as Delacroix if I was Ryan,” remains clear Dettori.
“A horse such as Delacroix is easy to handle, and it would be an obvious choice,” concludes Frankie.
As far as other participants go, Frankie remains high on the likes of Lion in Winter at Dante, adding that the former might be too early to make a return to the racetrack.
Of course, Dettori remains shy of criticising Aidan O’Brien, stating that he knows how to treat his horses, which he proved once again last year when he brought back City of Troy after a few bad runs, and that move proved to be a jackpot.
As far as the Epsom Derby goes, the former champion added that the atmosphere is not what it used to be, and that the crowd is less noisy nowadays, but that those things do not take anything from the fact both the horse and the jockey need to finish a mile and a half.
With all that said, Dettori remains adamant that both Moore and Delacroix are more than able to perform at the Derby.
Delacroix is by Dubawi, who never won the Derby and hasn’t sired a winner yet either. Do you think Delacroix could be the one to change that?
“It could happen, yet it takes a lot of time for a horse to win the Derby,” states Dettori.
While not being too aware of Delacroix’s dam’s side, everyone knows that Dubawi is a versatile sire that has produced horses for every distance, adds former Goodwood Cup winner, seeing nothing negative in Delacroix being the one breaking the curse.
Ten Derby wins for O’Brien is remarkable. What do you think sets him apart?
“It is an unbelievable feat, by an incredible trainer who knows all the insights of the racing operation, and with horses such as Galileo he has made history at Epsom Derby,” says Frankie.
“Of course, O’Brien has had some of the best horses around, but they’ve become such under the tutelage of Aidan, and no one can neglect that,” said Frankie Dettori.
When Epsom Derby comes, Aiden O’Brien takes over and concludes the former Lockinge Stakes winner.
Which of the British contenders in Ruling Court, Damysus, Nightwalker and Pride of Arras have the best chance at the Derby?
“Pride of Arras got to be there after its win at the Dante” claims Dettori.
The former champ said that the one thing stopping Pride of Arras going all the way might be the size of the field where it doesn’t have too much experience in such lengths.
During the Derby trials, Pride of Arras was the horse that impressed Dettori the most with his ability to run through traffic, a nice cruising speed, and an even better turn of foot.
“The only disadvantage for this horse would be its lack of experience at the highest level and nothing else,” concludes Dettori.
As far as Ruling Court goes, it’s a serious animal according to Frankie. Based on his Guineas performance it is a lock for the Epsom Derby, and yet we have the small issue of the mile and a half.
We’re talking about a powerful and superbly talented horse, but it is going to be a challenge for him too to elevate his game for a race that’s quite a few furlongs longer.
Ruling Horse has a question mark over its ability to win according to Dettori, but that only means good odds on Stake for the bettors.
The last but not least is Damysus who according to Dettori is a notch below the two horses from above.
Based on what all three of them have done at Dante, Pride Of Arras has the best chance going at the title.
Either way, as far as Frankie Dettori is concerned, it is one of the more open races in recent memory, and that’s what the fans want to see.
What’s it like riding for John Gosden? Do you feel extra pressure because of his reputation and the profile of the yard?
“The two of us had an amazing chemistry,” claims Dettori, adding that it wasn’t the same with any other coach.
“It was always easy to be on the same page without knowing whether he trained horses for my style, or was I the one trained to match the horses jokingly,” adds Dettori.
The former Epsom Derby winner stated that their relationship was a professional one as the two do not have many talking points in personal lives.
“As far as interests outside horse racing goes, we were not on the same page, but when it came to the race reparation, we were two sides of the same coin,” concludes Dettori.
Frankie was brave enough to compare himself and John to the chemistry Sir Alex Ferguson had with his Manchester United side throughout the years, stating that the two of them always knew what was best for both the horse, the racer, and the team in general.
Race for the Crown gave viewers a behind the scenes look at U.S. racing – how much of an impact has it had?
“An amazing experience through and through,” screams Dettori!
It has been making rounds since it was released and it even attracted the attention of the likes such as Shaquille O’Neal who wanted to get down on the project too, which was a high compliment for Frankie.
It was evident that having a former baseball player Jayson Werth on the team was bingo, as he managed to attract more audience than first expected.
For Dettori this was a good chance to bring the sport closer to the American audience, and the goal was achieved with a few more shows already being in the works at least through ideas, after the initial footage and the whole documentary were met with great interest.
For Dettori this is only a start of this television work, as he believes that the show has so much more to offer to the people considering the sheer appeal of the sport and the excitement each race brings forth.
Is Shaquille O’Neal getting involved in the sport? Has he reached out for your advice?
While there were contacts between myself and the O’Neal’s team, whatever will happen is still in the early stages of development according to Dettori.
For the former champ this is a clear sign that a good series was made as it initiated contact from other folks in the entertainment business, so a future Dettori/O’Neal joint project is not out of the question.
Are you an F1 fan?
Yes sir, states Dettori, as the former Oaks Stakes winner adds that he was watching Monaco Grand Prix last week, as an avid Formula 1 fan.
Also, Dettori was watching the Indy 500 series too during the weekend. While Dettori added that the Indy 500 was not super clear to him, F1 is another story where he supports Ferrari with all of his heart.
While acknowledging that in recent years Ferrari hasn’t fared too well, he’s glad that a legendary presence of Lewis Hamilton is now tied to the Maranello red.
Dettori believes that with a better engine next season, Hamilton might be able to make a mark for the legendary Ferrari Scuderia.
If they were going to make a film of your life, who would you like to play you?
While we’ve omitted a few pieces from the super interesting interview with Frankie Dettori, we’ve left the best for the end.
When asked who would have played him in a biopic, Frankie was quick to answer – “Antonio Banderas. It is all because of the dark hair” added by Dettori.
Yeah, we’re sure it’s only that Frankie!
