Dettori ends 15-year wait for Ascot’s top rider title

There may have been no trademark flying dismount as part of his celebrations, but the smile on the face of Frankie Dettori said it all after he was crowned leading jockey at Royal Ascot.

Having wowed the crowds with some scintillating displays throughout the week, the popular Italian showed why he is still among the best in the business by claiming the prize for the first time since 2004, with a final tally of seven winners to equal his personal best.

After drawing a blank on the first afternoon, the 48-year-old hit back with a double on Wednesday, highlighted by Crystal Ocean in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, before making all the headlines with his fabulous four-timer on Thursday, which featured a second Gold Cup win for Stradivarius.

Only one more winner materialised for the three-times champion jockey across the final two days, courtesy of Advertise in the Commonwealth Cup on Friday, but despite ending the meeting as it started it was not to dampen the mood of a jubilant Dettori, who led Ryan Moore by two at the start of the final day.

It is now six titles for Dettori, who said: “I’m back, it’s been a long time. It’s unbelievable. Three Group Ones and a superb Thursday, I’m stuck for words.

“I started the week with Too Darn Hot getting beat and I was really down and I thought it could be one of those weeks.

“Then it all picked up on Wednesday with the Prince Of Wales’s, then you know the rest with super Thursday. We made headlines for all the right reasons, which was fantastic, and winning the Gold Cup with a fantastic horse.”

While Moore saw his quest for a sixth straight Qipco-sponsored title, and ninth in total, ended by Dettori, there was no stopping Aidan O’Brien from claiming a 10th top trainer crown following his five winners, one more than his 2018 total.

Frankie Dettori: seven winners at meeting.