Frankie Dettori Named Longines World’s Best Jockey For Third Consecutive Year

Lanfranco “Frankie” Dettori has won the title of 2020 Longines World's Best Jockey, meaning the legendary rider has received the award for three consecutive years. Dettori, who also took the competition in 2015, has been named the Longines World's Best Jockey four of the last six years.

In 2020, Dettori won five of the world's Top 100 Group or Grade 1 races, with his qualifying victories coming in the Gold Cup (Stradivarius), St James's Palace Stakes (Palace Pier), King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes (Enable), Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes (Stradivarius), and Prix du Haras de Fresnay‐le‐Buffard ‐ Jacques Le Marois (Palace Pier).

The scoring process rewards jockeys for finishing in the top three, giving Dettori a total of 102 points on the year. He narrowly defeated Ryan Moore, the 2014 and 2016 Longines World's Best Jockey, who finished 2020 with 98 points. William Buick was third with 66 points, while Irad Ortiz, Jr., was just behind him in fourth with 64 points.

The awarding of the Longines World's Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races from Dec. 1 of the previous year until Nov. 30 of the current year. Jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, 6 points for placing second, and 4 points for placing third.

Dettori is the only four-time winner of the Longines World's Best Jockey award, which was established in 2014. Historically, a ceremony has been held to honor the winner during the gala dinner of the Longines Hong Kong International Races in December, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person ceremony will not take place this year. Instead, Dettori will be honored in mid-January when the 2020 Longines World's Best Racehorse and Longines World's Best Horse Race winners are announced.

The full and final standings for the 2020 Longines World's Best Jockey competition can be found at www.ifhaonline.org.

The Longines World's Best Jockey Award was established seven years ago by Swiss watch brand Longines and the IFHA as a way to quantitatively recognize a jockey as the best among his or her global peers. It marked the first time a rider was honored in such a way.

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Enable Headcollar Part of Celebrity Auction

Champion Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire})’s headcollar, donated by Juddmonte, will make up part of the upcoming Celebrity Bottom Drawer auction to aid the East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH). The Juddmonte homebred won 11 Group 1 races and her headcollar was signed by her jockey Frankie Dettori and trainer John Gosden.

Organised by comedian Griff Rhys Jones, the 10-day online auction begins on Friday, Nov. 27. Alongside Enable’s headcollar, there are also top-grade cast-offs, memorabilia and treasure donated by various celebrities including Cate Blanchett, Ralph Fiennes, Ian Hislop, Matt Lucas, David Schwimmer, Dame Judi Dench and Tom Hollander. There are also items from shows Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, James Bond and Pirates of the Caribbean. Juddmonte has been a long-time support of EACH and its undefeated racehorse and leading sire Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was named an EACH Ambassador. To view the auction items and to bid, please go to www.celebritybottomdrawer.com.

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European Breeders’ Cup Report: Gosden Trio In Good Form, O’Brien Trainees Take To The Track

John Gosden's trio of Breeders' Cup contenders were the first horses to leave the quarantine barn Thursday morning at Keeneland. Thady Gosden (assistant trainer to his father John) was at the training track to watch the horses train. The trio galloped two circuits of the training track.

Frankie Dettori rode Terebellum (Filly & Mare Turf) who reported the filly to be “all good, she's very well in herself.”

Daniel Harrap, who looks after Terebellum, reported: “she's done great since she arrived in Keeneland. She has eaten very well, her temperatures are good, and her exercise work has been very pleasing.”

Thady Gosden who flew into Keeneland yesterday said: “its great to be here, unfortunately my father won't be making the trip this year. The horses looked great this morning so we're all looking forward to the weekend now.”

Mehdaayih (Turf) was ridden by Andrea Pina who described the filly's workout as “very, very good.”

Lord North (Turf) was ridden by Benario Goncalves de Palva who once again showed great enthusiasm in his training with de Palva saying, “he's bouncing, in great form.”

Safe Voyage (Mile) went onto the training track by himself and did a very light canter. John and Sean Quinn were again trackside and Safe Voyage was ridden by Jason Hart.

Hart said: “He's in good order, we did a nice breeze yesterday so he's had an easy day today to freshen him back up.”

The Lir Jet (Juvenile Turf) did a strong canter for a circuit around the training track.

Trainer Michael Bell said: “that's perfect, he's ready to race.”

Siskin (Mile) went on to the training track under race day jockey Colin Keane. The two did a strong canter for 1 ½ circuits.

Keane said: “he's in great form, really pleased.”

Ubettabelieveit (Juvenile Turf Sprint) once again took the eye on the training track. Partnered by race day jockey Rowan Scott he had a walk around the track and then had a light canter.

His trainer Nigel Tinkler, who has made a great impression on the locals with his sense of humor, said: “Good, that's him spot on for tomorrow. Happy.”

Aidan O'Brien's 10 horses cleared quarantine Wednesday evening and went out on to the main track. They split into two groups of six and four. They did a canter of the main track before heading back to the barn.

Superstar filly Magical (Turf) looked incredibly calm taking in the surroundings.

Andrew Balding was trackside to see Kameko (Mile) along with Qatar Racing manager David Redvers.

Balding said: “I'm pleased to be here. I've had runners at Keeneland in the past so it is great to be back at what is a fantastic racecourse.”

Race day jockey Oisin Murphy said: “We breezed for four furlongs on the turf. The ground was lovely, just kicking the top off but it's fairly fast underneath. His lead changes were very natural. He never overexerts himself in his work, but he felt really good.”

Glass Slippers (GB) (Turf Sprint) was another to canter around the turf ridden by race day jockey Tom Eaves.

Trainer Kevin Ryan said he “couldn't be happier with her. She's really well in herself and Tom said she gave him a lovely feel.”

After exercise, a number of European horses went for a paddock school. They included Kameko, Glass Slippers and Ralph Beckett's Juvenile Turf contenders, Devilwala (IRE) and New Mandate (IRE).

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Gosden Chasing Firmer Ground With Three Breeders’ Cup Entrants

Trainer John Gosden attended the very first Breeders' Cup World Championships, held at Hollywood Park in 1984, and came away victorious by saddling the filly Royal Heroine to defeat nine male rivals in the inaugural Breeders' Cup Mile. Though Gosden has been based in Europe since 1989, the trainer regularly tries to make it back to the United States for the World Championships event.

He has won a total of five Breeders' Cup races, most recently the Turf with the great racemare Enable, recently retired to stud.

“It's such a wonderful international event,” Gosden said on Wednesday's Breeders' Cup teleconference. “I've been a passionate believer in it since we started at Hollywood Park. I remember we ran out of programs and food, but it was a great day. The Breeders' Cup is at the end of our year in Europe, of course, so you have to be careful you have your horse still fresh enough.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Gosden will not be making the trip to Keeneland for the 2020 edition. He will, however, send three top horses and staff, along with stable jockey Frankie Dettori.

“Mr. Dettori, he likes to play trainer too, so he can do both jobs,” Gosden quipped.

Gosden plans to start two horses in the Breeders' Cup Turf and one in the Filly & Mare Turf, he explained on Wednesday's call.

Lord North, winner of the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot this June, will head to the Turf, along with stablemate Mehdaayih. The latter, a 4-year-old daughter of Frankel, did not get into the main body of the field for the Filly & Mare Turf, and so is expected to take on males in the 1 1/2-mile Turf instead.

Lord North, a 4-year-old son of Dubawi, was most recently seen finishing 10th over unforgiving ground in the G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes on Oct. 17.

“Well his last race was unfortunately run on a quagmire,” Gosden said. “He was in the same race as (Aidan O'Brien trainee and fellow BC Turf hopeful) Magical, and she also found the track too deep. It was the deepest ground I've ever seen, and it was drying out ground, so it was sticky, and he couldn't handle that.”

Mehdaayih was a Group 2 winner in 2019 but has had just two starts in 2020, most recently finishing fourth in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, also on Oct. 17.

“She's a high class runner, and very fresh after just two starts this year,” said Gosden. “She's what you might call a wildcard.”

In the Filly & Mare Turf, Gosden will enter G1 Queen Anne Stakes runner-up Terebellum. The 4-year-old filly by Sea the Stars was most recently fifth in the G1 Sun Chariot Stakes on Oct. 3, and will also be seeking firmer ground.

“She likes what we call good, good to firm going,” Gosden explained. “Keeneland's would be like that, usually… she'd be very happy on the surface if it doesn't ride at all loose.”

All three of Gosden's Breeders' Cup hopefuls will fly to the United States on Friday, with staff flying the day ahead of the horses.

“Everyone's gone out of their way to make it feasible for us,” Gosden said. “It's a strange world we're living in now, but we just have to get on with it.”

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