James McDonald is the “best jockey in the world”, but visiting hoop Frankie Dettori deserves just as much respect given his amazing record in the saddle over more than three decades.
So says champion jockey Glen Boss, who has ridden against Dettori and knows how much his lack of success in Australia still frustrates the British-based icon.
Champion jockey Frankie Dettori with the Golden Eagle trophy at Rosehill Gardens on Friday.Credit:Steven Siewert
Dettori, 51, will ride in Sydney for the first time on Saturday when he steers Welwal in the $10 million Golden Eagle. He will then stay in the Harbour City to pilot Kris Lees’ Hosier in The Big Dance at Randwick on Tuesday.
The fact Dettori has struggled to make an impact whenever he has come to Australia, despite massive success in Europe, Asia and the United States, makes it hard for a lot of local punters to appreciate the hype.
Some have never forgotten that he wiped out half the 2015 Melbourne Cup field while riding Max Dynamite. Four years later, Dettori was demoted to fourth on Master of Reality having crossed the line behind Vow and Declare after shifting out in the final 100m.
The fact McDonald is the best of a brilliant Australian pack means there is little reason to get excited about any foreign stars. But Boss, as well as Darren Beadman and Jimmy Cassidy – three of the finest jockeys to have graced Australian racetracks – are still in awe of Dettori after all these years, regardless of his lean trot on these shores.
“James McDonald is the best jockey in the world right now, it’s as simple as that, but Frankie has been the benchmark for three decades,” Boss told the Herald. “He loves being around the lads. He lights up every room he walks into.
“It really hurts him he hasn’t had much success here. I know he takes it personally. He desperately wants to win a Melbourne Cup. It’s a big itch he wants to scratch. But sometimes his desperation to win the Cup has almost hurt him. But Frankie has been good for decades.”
Cassidy said of Dettori: “Horses run for him, they quicken for him, he positions his horses well, he ticks all the boxes. He might not have had the success here, but Frankie is the real deal.”
Beadman, viewed by many current jockeys as the best ever, including McDonald, spoke about Dettori’s balance and his brilliant ability to get horses to simply run for him.
“Frankie is the complete package – great balance, great hands, a great racing brain, and he’s someone who can handle pressure,” Beadman said.
“He’s won just about every other race in the world, including the Breeders’ Cup, Japan Cup, Hong Kong Cup, the Arc [Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe] … and from what I’ve seen with his riding, he’s very fit and obviously knows his strengths and weaknesses. He’s been very good for the game.”
Beadman recalled the day he drove British jockey Willie Buick to Kembla Grange for a race, how the visiting hoop got lost on the turn, only to hop back in the car and receive a call from Dettori who had watched the race from afar at some ungodly hour, and gave it to him.
“Frankie rang Willie and took the piss out of him, and said, ‘did you go bush on that one, mate?’” Beadman recalled.
Most punters will not have the same sense of humour should Dettori’s latest Australian hit-and-run mission prove another dud.
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