FRANKIE’S SABBATICAL

FRANKIE DETTORI and John Gosden have agreed to take a “sabbatical”, it was announced last night.

The pair were locked in talks yesterday amid fierce speculation that they were about to split.

The rider’s manager Peter Burrell said Dettori (right) was “gutted” by the development.

In a statement, Gosden said: “Following speculation in the press, Frankie and I have amicably decided to take a sabbatical from the trainer-jockey relationship but we remain the closest of friends and colleagues.

“Frankie has been — and always will be — one of the family here so I

wanted to

meet face to face after he returned from his post-Ascot holiday. I do not intend to appoint a stable jockey at Clarehaven.”

Dettori, the most recognised jockey in the world, and Gosden, the respected grand master of the training profession, have celebrated success together at the highest level on many occasions.

But their enduring partnership came under great strain after controversial defeats at Royal Ascot last week.

Gosden (right) publicly criticised Dettori when he was beaten on Stradivarius in the Ascot Gold Cup and also on the Queen’s colt Saga, who was narrowly beaten into second in the Britannia Handicap.

With Dettori out of the country in Sardinia, Gosden admitted that he had not had a chance to speak to the 51-year-old since he rode at Royal Ascot — until yesterday.

Dettori is not riding Gosden’s three runners at Newmarket today — even though he is riding at the track.

Bookmakers had made Hollie Doyle the 4-11 favourite to replace the Italian.