The Bottom Line
Racing fans around the world have seen Frankie Dettori win Group 1 races and then leap high into the air off the horse in the winner's circle. In his autobiography, you can get an in-depth look at the life and times of this superstar. Highly recommended for any race fan's bookshelf.
Pros
- Very entertaining look at the life of world class jockey Frankie Dettori
- Gives the fan an understanding of how difficult it is to survive as a young rider
- Readers will enjoy the first person account of some of his biggest wins
Cons
- The book may have been written too early, as Frankie's career continues today
Description
- The flying dismount was well-received in America but hated in Europe.
- A heckler at Ascot told him to join the circus after he dismounted.
- Ironically, Dettori's mother was a trapeze artist in an Italian circus.
- As a new, up-and-coming rider, trainer John Gosden introduced Frankie Dettori to Sheikh Mohammed
- Eventually Dettori became the contract rider for the Sheikh's Godolphin racing.
- His most memorable day was in September 1996 when he swept a 7 race card at Ascot.
- Travelling between racecourses, a plane carrying he, jockey Ray Cochrane, and a pilot crashed.
- Cochrane rescued Dettori before the plane burst into flames, killing the pilot.
- Unable to return to riding due to his injuries, Cochrane took on the job of Dettori's agent.
- Dettori lives in Newmarket, England with his wife Catherine and five young children.
Guide Review - Review - Frankie: The Autobiography of Frankie Dettori
Frankie Dettori was literally born into his profession. His father Gianfranco was a champion rider in his native Italy, and his uncle was also a jockey. When it came time for the young Frankie to go out on his own, Gianfranco sent him to England to work as a stable lad under legendary trainer Luca Cumani. Cumani and Dettori did not always see eye-to-eye, eventually leading to Dettori being fired from the stable. It took a year for Cumani to re-hire Dettori, who returned the favor by winning his first Breeders' Cup aboard Barathea in the 1994 Mile at Churchill Downs. It was in that winner's circle that Dettori unleashed his flying dismount to the world, which he taught himself after observing Angel Cordero during his exercise riding stints in southern California. The skills he learned in California gave him an edge over his European contemporaries. He learned how to ride American style in an aerodymanic crouch, and the art of judging pace. Having trained in Italy, England, France, and America, his style is a hybrid, riding upright European-style early in a race, and then crouching low for the stretch run.
