LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 03: Lanfranco Dettori celebrates in the winner's circle after riding Enable to victory in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf on the second day of the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs on November 3, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
Legendary Flat jockey Frankie Dettori “fell on the floor” when he heard wonder mare Enable was to stay in training for another season.
The 48-year-old told guests at the Animal Health Trust (AHT) awards last week (16 October) of his excitement at owner Khalid Abdullah’s decision, as he picked up the racing award.
“Yesterday, I was at the sales when I got a text saying she was staying in training,” he said. “I fell on the ground like a kid.”
Frankie spoke of the John Gosden-trained mare’s attempt to win a record third Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe, one of the most prestigious Flat races in the world, at the beginning of this month.
“We tried to do the impossible and we came unstuck, we finished second,” he said.
“But the good thing now is, if she’d won, she’d have gone to stud – so now I get to keep her for one more year.
“I went to see her this morning, and gave her half a packet of Polos and a pat on the head, and said: ‘Listen, we’ve got one more year, we’ll try again’.”
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Frankie said the five-year-old is a rare equine hero for Flat races, her public prestige comparable to that of National Hunt stars such as Desert Orchid or Tiger Roll.
He thanked the AHT for his award – for which compere Nick Brooks-Ward said there could be “no other winner” after Frankie’s fantastic season – and said he felt privileged to accept it from AHT president the Princess Royal.
He added: “We’re all here for one thing; that horses have given us happiness, jobs and purpose in life.
“Most things in the world today are on computers and phones; we’re lucky we still have something beautiful to share and enjoy.”
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
