‘I thought I was fired on the spot’ says Frankie Dettori after famous flying dismount went horribly wrong
FRANKIE DETTORI has revealed the moment he thought he had been ‘fired on the spot’ after one of his famous flying dismounts went horribly wrong.
The world’s most famous jockey continues to leap out of the saddle after victory even at the age of 53.
But he forgot to check who was around him on one occasion and ended up crashing into his old boss, Sheikh Mohammed.
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The billionaire ruler of Dubai and Godolphin supremo officially split with Dettori at the end of 2012 after 18 years together.
But Dettori, who last year left Britain to continue his career with great success in the US, opened up on one particular moment he thought the famous partnership would end prematurely.
In a quiz with Paulick Report about his iconic celebration, Dettori was asked if there was ever a moment it went wrong.
And he said: “I haven’t hurt myself doing it but there have been a few times it went wrong.
“I think my worst time was when I landed on Sheikh Mohammed, who was my boss, and I knocked him over.
“It did not go down very well and I’m surprised I wasn’t fired on the spot.
“It was forgotten after that but he did not respond well to what happened, not well at all.
“I got the silent treatment.”
Dettori will be hoping for a hat-trick of flying dismounts this weekend owing to his three rides for Aidan O’Brien.
The dream team are getting together for a trio of rides at Kentucky Downs, a week after Dettori landed the £830,000 first-place prize in the Nashville Derby on Bellum Justum for trainer Andrew Balding.
The mega-money prizes are even bigger at Kentucky, with the winner taking home just shy of £1million in every race.
Dettori will ride Listed Killarney winner Greenfinch at 8.27pm in the Grade 3 Marathon Stakes over 1m2f.
The daughter of Justify receives at least 4lb from all the other runners and goes there in good form.
Next up is Mountain Bear at 9.41pm. He was fourth to Haatem in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and again receives weight from the others.
While Chief Little Rock rounds out the rides at 10.55pm in the Grade 2 in the 1m4f FanDuel TV Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes.
The son of Galileo flopped behind King Edward winner Calandagan at the Royal meeting but has form with Bellum Justum – beaten in a length in the Blue Riband trial – before that.
As the sole three-year-old in the field he also gets a 4lb weight allowance.
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