- This topic has 239 replies, 33 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 7 months ago by
.
- Posts
Whether you like him or not, he’s fully entitled to have his own opinion:
And with that he made clear what the difference him and his stable jockey is.
Was there ever any doubt about who employed who?
And what has Frankie Dettori’s nationality got to do with it?
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Trainers employ jockeys.
I’ve no strong feelings about John Gosden either way.
I don’t always agree with him, and I think he routinely tries to pressurise Clerks Of Courses to secure the ideal surface for his horse when he has a big-race favourite, but I happen to agree with him on this occasion.
Dettori has had a lousy week overall and today doesn’t alter that.
But that doesn’t mean I think Dettori has gone at the game – the best footballers have bad matches, the best jockeys have bad race rides.
The difference is it’s easier to have that conversation in football than it is in the precious world of racing.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I don’t think Dettori is gone at all, but he has a tendency to be over-confident and ride like that. But in a 30-runner handicap like the Britannia you always have a chance to make the wrong decision.
I doubt the Saga defeat would have stung Gosden so much if it had been owned by anyone else. But training a winner for the Queen at Royal Ascot this year was obviously a target.
He wasn’t best pleased with Dettori’s riding of Strad in last year’s Gold Cup either – Dettori had a chance right at the start of this year’s race to take a more prominent position and then gradually drop back a few places if need be – probably what the ‘wished he had been handier’ comment alluded to.
Frankie probably assumed there would be at least a decent pace rather than the crawl they did go for most of the race but once he dropped back on the inside and Ryan (on a faster horse) then locking him in there that was pretty much it – he doesn’t have the same zip as a couple of years ago so trying to quicken past horses already quickening was just that little bit beyond him at 8 yrs of age.
Gosden probably more miffed than usual coming off the back of the Lord North debacled which is then compounded with (for the 2nd year running) his jockey having a mare tactics wise that given the high standards he has set over the years you would not have expected to happen again. The fact that it is also Strad’s last Royal Ascot and penultimate race of his career in which they were hoping to right the perceived wrongs of last year probably also added to Gosden making said comments.
Hindsight is a great thing and this week has been a more extreme version of the ups and downs of racing (emphasis more on the downs) but once you have said your piece you have to put a line under it and move on for everybodies sake.
The Italian fellow gets some good rides.
Gosden and the owners must rate him, no room for sentiment at the top
Frankie has earnt his respect with years of success and experience and will go down in history as one of the best.
However I’d say he is somewhat past his prime and if I owed the horses I’d be ruthless and be putting up Rossa Ryan or other upcoming jockeys instead of Frankie.Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
I’d say even past his prime (and I’d agree he is) I think Dettori is still a better option than most.
He’s had a nightmare this week – couldn’t get a hood off in a Group 1, decides it’s a good idea to let a multiple Gold Cup winner lose his position in a slowly-run renewal, seemed to think it was the Queen Alexandra and they had another circuit to go on Saga – and Inspiral doesn’t make up for all that.
But he’s still capable of pulling out a superb big-race ride.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Dettori realistically only has 2 or 3 years left riding at the top level. It is only to be expected that Gosden is thinking about a future without him.
Eyesight, nerves and hand/eye co-ordination are bound to deteriorate over time.
Yes, agree Ian.
Gosden and top yards wouldn’t use him in the big races if his standards had plummeted too much
He has had a poor week and is always going to be in the spotlight and talked about more than others so it gets heightened but on the flipside he gets more praise when things go his way
I’d say when he is riding out of his skin he probably isn’t as good as is made out and likewise when he has a stinker its probably not as bad as portrayed.
He’s not my cup of tea but can’t fault his durability as a jockey to maintain “normal” standards over a long period for his abilityGaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
“He’s not my cup of tea”
Only actually ever directly encountered him once.
I was late arriving at Windsor races, and was dashing through the entrance to see the second race (having missed the first).
Dettori, having had just one booked ride in the first at the end of a long day (he was at an afternoon meeting) was dashing to leave, no doubt wanting to get home.
But he stopped to let me pass.
I thought that the act of a decent regular guy and someone who wasn’t nearly so up his own backside as many claim he is and, as I take as I find, I’ve always thought he was alright in my book from that day to this.
I can entirely understand why many don’t much like him though.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Nice one Ian
I have no issues with his personality, doesn’t bother me at all, him being brashI should have said not my cup of tea as a rider.
I’m more in the Piggott, Richard Hughes, Jamie Spencer, Carberry over jumps of jockey appreciation although Dettori isn’t anywhere near the bottom of my list
Not that I have made a listGaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Well, the boss will be delighted with Hollie today. She rode a brilliant race in a race in which half the field was upsides with three furlongs to go.
Yes, John Gosden very complimentary about Hollie post race, can see her ending up with the stable jockey job!
I have never met Dettori, so I have no idea what he is like in private.
I do find his hyperactive routine after a big race winner a bit much to take in a man his age but other people seem to like it.
I saw him at Doncaster last year and he refused to sign an autograph for someone. I can understand it to an extent. I am not sure jockeys should be distracted when they are working – but other jockeys did sign. Maybe none of them are not asked as often as Dettori. To be fair, I have seen Rory McIlroy refuse autographs as well.
All I can say: I once was on a train from Ormskirk to Liverpool, which calls at Aintree station en route. Two prominent racing journalists and one ex-jockey got on the train into my carriage and sat near me (it was two weeks before the National, so there must have been some sort of event for the press). They spent the rest of the journey into Liverpool talking about how much they disliked Dettori. He is clearly not universally popular!
Yeah, I know loads of people who don’t like him either.
Maybe I just caught him in a rare courteous moment.
I wonder when he will retire.
It might hinge on whether he gets one last multiple Group 1 winner to ride.
Maybe that horse won at Royal Ascot on Friday?
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.