Dettori tribute to jockey
Legend marks year since Caserta’s death at sea
THE world’s most famous jockey Frankie Dettori has paid an emotional tribute to Chris Caserta to mark the oneyear anniversary of the young jockey’s tragic death at sea.
Caserta, who came from passionate Italian heritage, idolised Dettori.
On a recent riding visit to Australia during the spring carnival, flamboyant Italianborn Dettori rode Steven Wise-trained Valiant at Randwick in honour of Caserta.
At the time of Caserta’s death when going for a Surfers Paradise swim on December 1 last year, Caserta had been dating Wise’s daughter Brittany.
Thursday marks the oneyear anniversary of Caserta’s death and Dettori has paid tribute to the young jockey who he believes would have gone on to enjoy a glittering career.
Dettori said bad things can happen to jockeys on the track but it was a shock and tragedy that Caserta had lost his life in a non-racing incident.
“A jockey’s life is one of continual peril so you don’t expect something awful like this to happen off the track,” Dettori said.
“Chris was a great rider and probably would have gone on to have an outstanding career.”
Caserta’s death saddened the racing community after the 26-year-old jockey disappeared after going for a late-night swim with a fellow jockey.
There is sure to be an outpouring of grief in the next 48 hours to mark his passing.
Caserta’s last winner was Gem Of The Lochs – which is part-owned by Brittany Wise and trained by Brittany’s dad Steven at Murwillumbah.
On Melbourne Cup Day this year, Steven Wise fought back tears when he told how he had booked Dettori to ride Valiant who finished third at $41 in the TAB Highway Handicap at Randwick.
“My late son-in-law Chris Caserta was a jockey, (dating) my daughter Brittany,” Wise told Channel 7 at the time. “Chris was a passionate little Italian and he absolutely idolised Frankie.
“When it turned out there was an opportunity, I messaged Frankie’s manager.
“I sent a picture of Chris and Frankie together some time back in the jockeys’ room.
“As soon as I messaged, I got a reply within about 10 minutes and he said, ‘I’m on’. It was incredible.”
Caserta was a former Victorian jockey who moved to Queensland in 2020. In 2019 he was the talk of racing circles after his weight loss to ride Jedastar at 44kg in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington.