Lanfranco “Frankie” Dettori
Frankie Dettori, born Lanfranco Dettori is a celebrity thoroughbred horse jockey. Born in Milan in 1970 to Gianfranco Dettori , a championship jockey, Frankie Dettori has risen to fame throughout the world. Gaining multiple victories and awards in his jockey career,Dettori is certainly a force to be reckoned with on the race track.
At the age of 8, Lanfranco’s father gave him a a pony which he rode daily. At the young age of 13 he became a stable boy and an apprentice jockey. In 1985 Frankie Dettori departed for England to work with Luca Cumani. Just before turning 16, Dettori gained victory in Turin. At 18 years he rode in the Arc. In 1994 and 1995 he was designated England’s top jockey with 223 and 216 victories respectively. In September 1996 Detorri left an indelible mark on racing history when he won 7 races on a single card at Ascot. Amongst these wins was the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. He rode for Godolphin stable and Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum in the 1993-1994 winter. Within no time at all he had made an impression on the British public. His remarkably fluid style was considered by many as an ideal model for younger generation jockeys.
In June 2000 the small plane which was taking him from Newmarket to Goodwood crashed. The pilot was killed, but amazingly Frankie Dettori survived with just a fractured ankle. Lanfranco’s greatest year was 2001 when he won 16 Group one races. 2002 saw Frankie traveling around the world again proudly bearing the Godolphin colors and taking the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Lucien Barriere. In 2005 he broke his clavicle during a fall at Sandown. However he came back with a win in the Irish St. Leger. Lanfranco Detorri was presented with an honorary MBE on 29 December 2000. As it stands, the only British classic race that Dettori has not claimed is the Epsom Derby.
Detorri resides in Cambridgeshire along with Katherine, his wife and children Leo, Rocco, Ella, Tallulah and Mia. Lanfranco “Frankie” Detorri is truly a legend of the thoroughbred racetrack.
