Our own Frankie Foster and the brilliant Italian jockey chat in our Media City studio
As sponsors of the Betfred Oaks and Derby, we had an exclusive interview with the man himself, Frankie Dettori, ahead of the meeting taking place on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd June.
Frankie is of course retiring at the season’s end and is on a wonderful farewell tour as he describes it, winning hearts and horse races with all the style and panache we’ve come to associate with him.
His last two Epsom Classic mounts have live prospects. In Friday’s Betfred Oaks, Soul Sister is a Musidora winner coming here as many have before her with a superb chance, while on Saturday in the Betfred Derby he rides Arrest, in the Dancing Brave/Frankel/Enable silks. Both are trained by the Gosdens.
He’s been riding winners since 1986, and few would bet on him failing to add to that tally both here, and at the upcoming sumptuous summer meetings such as Royal Ascot, Goodwood, York, and the Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster.
We’ve been lucky to have him, and we’ve got him for just a little bit more time yet. It’s been a privilege, and if he’s got a few tricks left up his sleeve we can’t wait to enjoy them.
Update, Sunday 4th June 2023
Frankie duly won Friday’s Betfred Oaks with a smooth display aboard Soul Sister, who can now look forward to potentially tilting at some of the season’s biggest targets, like the Eclipse, King George, Juddmonte, and the Arc. His Derby ride didn’t fare so well, with Arrest probably needing cut in the ground to show his very best.
Aidan O’Brien’s 2000 Guineas disappointment Auguste Rodin gamely wore down King Of Steel in the Blue Riband for a half-length success and will have the Irish Derby no doubt among his options going forward, including some of those above, and the Betfred St Leger.
Betfred boss Fred Done; “Frankie’s swansong season is costing me a few quid but it was a pleasure to present him with the Betfred Oaks trophy, and he will be much-missed when he finally does hang up his riding boots at the end of the year.”
“We may have seen a special winner of the Betfred Derby. Aidan O’Brien never lost confidence in him (Auguste Rodin), and rightly so. We make him 7/2 favourite for the Betfred St Leger.
“The result cost me a few quid but it has been a tremendous couple of days here at Epsom, I have enjoyed every minute, and I am so proud to have my name associated with these classics.”