Superstar jockey Frankie Dettori – he’s a menace

Disgruntled punters everywhere call a losing jockey “a menace” – and much ruder things, too. But there are not many among racing’s upper-level establishment who’d publicly declare the world’s most famous jockey, Frankie Dettori, a menace – on worldwide television to boot.

That’s what top British trainer John Gosden labelled well-loved Frankie on Saturday after the Ebor Handicap at York Racecourse. And Frankie wasn’t even a loser; he won the famous race in stunning fashion with unconventional tactics on 9-1 shot Trawlerman.

Truth is, what Gosden said was: “Look how he has just ridden two fantastic races today. When our man is in the zone, he is absolutely top class. When he’s not in the zone, he’s a menace.”

The comments came after Gosden, who trains in partnership with his son Thady, was asked about a fallout with Dettori at this year’s Royal Ascot race meeting, when the stable jockey failed to perform to expectations. There was an announcement of a “trial separation”.

It didn’t last long, however. As wittily described by Racing Post writer Lee Mottershead, “…with some of us still struggling to remember is sabbatical had a double ‘b’ or ‘t’, the reunion was revealed.”

ALSO READ: Racing on the Highveld joins the stake-money bonanza

That reunion was the previous weekend at Deauville in France when the Gosdens and Dettori combined to win a Group 1 race with Inspiral. But reconciliation was consummated on the Knavesmire at York, with hugs all round.

Dettori described the Royal Ascot spat was “bad luck”. Gosden provided more detail: “The only reason it ever happened was I couldn’t get his attention. I couldn’t get him to concentrate, that’s all. In the end, it required a bit of a public warning. What would you call it if you were a football manager? Leaving him on the bench?”

Gosden added: “There were too many other things going on in his life. If you’re a jockey, you have to do everything that’s right by the horse and the owner of that horse. It’s as simple as that. He knows that. He’s the best and closest of friends but there were too many holidays.”

The pair’s teamwork was also highlighted in the post-Ebor interviews.

“As soon as the draw came out, Frankie and I looked at each other,” said Gosden. “We didn’t have to say anything. We knew what we were going to do.”

ALSO READ: Who’s jostling for position in the early jockey championship race?

This was a reference back to the victory of Golden Horn – Trawlerman’s father – in the 2015 Prix de la Arc d’Triomphe in France. Golden Horn was drawn wide at Longchamp, a distinct disadvantage, but the brains trust decided to keep him racing wide, away from the bunch in the first few hundred metres, not involved in early scrimmaging. It worked a treat – so there was no hesitation is using the same tactics with the offspring.

“Frankie rode him beautifully,” purred Gosden. “He did look rather solitary out there, but it’s not a bad tactic. You’ll see about eight of them doing it next year.”

Dettori made almost all the running, steadying the pace and then stacking up his opponents as he tracked across on the bend. Both eventual third Earl Of Tyrone and runner-up Alfred Boucher headed Trawlerman in the straight, but the latter rallied magnificently under Dettori’s urgings to score by a short-head.

In the unsaddling enclosure, Mottershead reported: “Alfred Boucher’s jockey PJ McDonald could very audibly be heard to say just two words, both of which made clear his enormous frustration.”

That’s what happens when you bump up against a superstar – when he’s “in the zone”.