Housewives' favourite Frankie Dettori is a racing superstar, whose fame spreads a long way beyond the track.

The Italian-born jockey is one of the captains on A Question Of Sport and even has his own range of frozen pizzas and ice cream.

Dettori's popularity is partly due to his friendly disposition and his willngness to entertain, epitomised by his trademark flying dismount after every Group One winner.

But he captured the admiration and attention of people all over the world by riding every winner on a seven-race card at Ascot on 28 September, 1996.

His "Magnificent Seven" cleaned out the bookies, and even halted BBC Grandstand's Final Score as the cameras showed live coverage of his success.

Little wonder then that punters latch on to Dettori's horses - the so-called Frankie Factor.

The jockey has suffered his share of traumas, missing the 2000 Royal Ascot meeting as he recovered from injuries sustained in a plane crash which killed the pilot.

Yet he bounced back to savour several big-race successes in 2001, most notably when Sakhee claimed the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, notching up Dettori's 100th career Group One win.

And in 2002 he racked up another couple of Classic wins with Kazzia, winning both the 1,000 Guineas and the Oaks, as well as his second consecutive Arc with Marienbard.

In the wake of his plane crash, Dettori vowed to cut back his race-riding and spend more time with his young family.

And his outside interests and the fact that he tends to go all over the globe for Godolphin mean he is unlikely ever to be champion jockey again.

But one ambition that is likely to keep him in racing for the foreseeable future is his desperate desire to win the Epsom Derby, the only Classic to so far evade him.



Date of birth: 15 Dec 1970
Place of birth: Italy
Champion jockey: Twice (1994-95)
English Classic wins: 9 (all except Derby)
2002 wins: 69
2001 wins: 96
2000 wins: 47

Information provided by Piglett