How many winners has Frankie Dettori ridden at Royal Ascot?

The name of Lanfranco ‘Frankie’ Dettori became synonymous with that of Ascot Racecourse when, on September 28, 1996, the Italian jockey completed his so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’ by winning all seven races on the Festival of British Racing card. Dettori, 49, rode his first Royal Ascot winner, Markofdistinction, in the Queen Anne Stakes, in 1990 and 30 years later, in 2020, hit the headlines once again at the Royal Meeting.

Quoted at 20/1 to win the Royal Ascot Leading Jockey Award before the start of the fifth and final day, Dettori completed a 150/1 treble, courtesy of Campanelle in the Queen Mary Stakes, Alpine Star in the Coronation Stakes and Palace Pier in the St. James’s Palace Stakes. In so doing, he took his winning tally to six for the week, edging out Jim Crowley on placings, to win his second consecutive title and his seventh in all. Furthermore, Dettori took his career total at Royal Ascot to 73 winners, making him the joint-second most successful jockey at the prestigious meeting, alongside the late Pat Eddery and behind only the legendary Lester Piggott; Piggott retired from race riding in 1995, long before the Royal Meeting was extended to five days in 2002, but still rode an astonishing 116 winners.

What was the Godolphin Arabian?

Along with the Byerley Turk and the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian was one of the three so-called ‘foundation’ sires, which originated on the Arabian Peninsula and to which every modern thoroughbred can trace its pedigree. The origin of the Godolphin Arabian is unclear, but the stallion is believed to have been given, as a gift, to the King of France, Louis XV, by the Bey of Tunis. Although still not known as such, the Godolphin Arabian was subsequently acquired by Englishman Edward Coke, who sent him to Longford Hall, Derbyshire in 1729. ‘Ye Arabian’, as he was listed in the studbook, stood at Longford Hall until the untimely death of Edward Coke, at the age of just 32, in 1733.

In his will, Edward Coke bequeathed his stallions, including the Godolphin Arabian, to his friend, and bloodstock agent, Roger Williams. Later the same year, the Arabian was acquired by Francis, Second Earl of Godolphin, and sent to stand at his stud in Gog Magog, near Stapleford, Cambridgeshire; thereafter, the stallion became known as the ‘Godolphin Arabian’. The Arabian remained at Gog Magog until his death in 1753 and quickly established himself as a leading sire; his notable offspring included his first foal, Lath, and Cade, Regulus and Blank, all of whom proved to be champion sires in their own right.

What colour are racehorses?

According to Weatherbys, the company that administers British racing under contract to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), the main body colours found in thoroughbred racehorses are bay, black, brown, chestnut and grey.

Bay can cover many variations of the colour brown, although typically means reddish-brown, or tan. A bay horse has a black mane and tail and a distinguishable colour line between the upper and lower sections of the legs. By contrast, a brown horse has a brown man and tail and no such colour line, although tan may be seen in the fold of the flank and/or muzzle. Purely black horses are a rarity and must be entirely black, in coat, stifle fold and muzzle, to be classified as such. Chestnut horses have a reddish or yellowish brown body colour, with a mane and tail which, while similar in shade, may be slightly lighter or darker.

Grey, too, covers a range of shades from bright white to battleship, or gunmetal, grey. Grey horses are not usually born grey, but grow lighter in colour with age, such that their body coat is a mixture of black and white hairs. Truly white horses, like truly black horses, are a rarity.

In addition to the basic body colours, certain other colours are recognised by thoroughbred and non-thoroughbred authorities. A thoroughbred described as ‘roan’, for example, is characterised by white hairs evenly intermingled with hairs of another colour, such as brown or chestnut. That said, most thoroughbreds that appear roan are in the process of going grey.

What is a ‘recall man’?

As the name suggests, a ‘recall man’, or ‘advance flag operator’, is a racecourse official, trained and accredited by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), who signals a false start to jockeys positioned furthest from the starter. The recall man is equipped with a yellow recall flag, of specific dimensions, which he must raise when signalled to do so by the starter, a white overcoat and a whistle. He is stationed some way down the track, say, on the run to the first fence in a steeplechase and, if the starter signals a false start, wave his flag above his head and blow his whistle until the field pulls up.

Perhaps the most famous, or infamous, recall man in the history of British horse racing was Ken Evans, a part-time employee who was singled out, unfairly, by the Jockey Club for failing to stop what became known as the ‘Grand National that never was’ in 1993. Crucially, starter Keith Brown raised his flag to signal a second false start, but did not unfurl it, such that most of the jockeys, including ‘winning’ jockey John White, were unaware of any instruction to stop and set off around the racecourse.

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