Frankie loves nightlife
IF there is a living certainty in racing – apart from Winx – the next closest thing is Frankie Dettori’s penchant for uncovering nocturnal delights.
Now one of the world’s most distinguished riders, Dettori was well established in the mid-90s when he chanced into Melbourne’s Crown Casino.
There he met leviathan owner Lloyd Williams, whose company had created the swanky Crown establishment, and his son Nick.
The Williamses quickly learned Dettori – off the racecourse, at least – knows only one pace. Flat out. In their separate way, and in a world far removed from Dettori’s whirlwind lifestyle, the more conservative Williams pair liked what they saw.
“He’s a lovely boy but much easier to control during the day than at night,” Lloyd Williams mused.
The flashy Italian had never ridden for the Williams family until last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. That anomaly will be further erased in tomorrow’s Cup when Dettori is legged aboard defending champion Almandin.