The flat campaign delivered thrills and spills aplenty, but there has been a little something missing. That little something is the presence of an evergreen Italian going by the name of Frankie Dettori. Having illuminated the biggest meetings for the best part of 40 years, it is fair to say Frankie was the face of British flat racing. As such, it’s been tough not to notice his absence.
Of course, Frankie isn’t finished just yet, with the irrepressible 53-year-old now racking up Graded winners at an impressive rate over in the USA. Solid as his start to life in the States has been, Frankie faces an impossible task to come anywhere close to the phenomenal record he boasted on the UK scene. To list all of Dettori’s achievements would require its own article, but a selection of highlights should suffice to illustrate that this is a rider a little out of the ordinary:
- 132 British Group 1 wins
- Won every British Group 1 at least once – the only exception being the July Cup
- 23 British Classic wins
- Champion Jockey in 1994, 1995, and 2004
- 81 Royal Ascot Wins
- Rides all seven winners at Ascot in September 1996 – sending some bookmakers close to bankruptcy and immediately becoming a legend with punters
Such records made Frankie comfortably the most famous jockey on British shores, with TV appearances on This Is Your Life, Question Of Sport, Celebrity Big Brother, and “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!”, only serving to enhance his profile with the general public.
Phenomenally successful, engaging, and charismatic, if ever there was a jockey set up to win the Sports Personality of the Year Award (SPOTY), it was surely Frankie Dettori. But did he ever do it?
Nominated Twice, Without Success
Despite all of those high-level victories on the track, Frankie has yet to claim the top spot in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award – his two nominations yielding a podium finish and an unplaced effort.
Magnificent Seven Only Good For Third Place
Frankie’s first nomination came in 1996, on the back of a season which saw him achieve the immortal Magnificent Seven at Ascot and win a host of Group 1 events, including the 2,000 Guineas and the St Leger.
Unfortunately for Dettori, 1996 was something of a vintage year for the SPOTY, with Damon Hill claiming first place, following his first (and only) F1 World Championship, and second going to Steve Redgrave, who had just claimed gold at his fourth successive Olympic Games in Atlanta. Given the competition, Dettori did well to finish third, but if he couldn’t win it on the back of a season featuring two Classic wins and one of the most remarkable achievements in racing history, he probably never would.
Out of the Frame in Farewell Season
Despite a consistent stream of success, Dettori waited 27 years before being shortlisted for the award for a second time. That nomination came in a farewell 2023 campaign featuring seven British Group 1 wins, including the 2,000 Guineas and the Epsom Oaks.
This time, Frankie failed to finish in the places, with the top spot going to England goalkeeper Mary Earps, who won the Golden Glove award at the World Cup. Retiring cricketer Stuart Broad took second, followed by world champion heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson in third.
Frankie’s failure to win the SPOTY is likely a combination of bad luck and horse racing’s place in the sporting pecking order. In many other years, Frankie’s incredible antics of 1996 may have seen him take the prize, but he stood little chance against an F1 World Champion and Olympic legend (athletics and F1 sit first and second in terms of SPOTY wins). Frankie’s 2023 nomination was a deserved nod to his British career, but Mary Earps was an overwhelming favourite following the surge in interest surrounding the women’s national side.
Has A Jockey Ever Won the BBC SPOTY Award?
Before Frankie in 1996, no jockey had ever finished in the top three positions at the SPOTY. However, the greatest jumps jockey of all time, Tony McCoy, matched that performance in 2002 when finishing third behind Paula Radcliffe and David Beckham.
By 2002, McCoy had been crowned Champion Jumps Jockey on seven occasions but had the misfortune of being pitted against an Olympian. However, eight years on, he would not be denied.
2010 – McCoy Home in Front
If a jumps jockey is to win the SPOTY award, there is one race which enhances their claims above any other – the Aintree Grand National. Win that race aboard a well-backed joint-favourite, and you may be in with a chance – which is precisely what McCoy achieved when powering Don’t Push It to victory for his first (and only) Grand National success in 2010.
That victory, plus a win in the Welsh National, two Grade 1s at the Cheltenham Festival, and a fourteenth consecutive Champion Jockey title sparked a huge campaign by the racing industry to see McCoy receive the recognition he deserved. Those efforts paid off, as McCoy won in a landslide, picking up 41.98% of the vote ahead of Phil Taylor (10.33%) and Jessica Ennis (9.02%).
Another Podium for McCoy and Hollie Breaks New Ground
As of the 2023 edition, McCoy remains the only jockey to win the SPOTY Award. The all-time great came close to repeating the feat when third in 2013, whilst 2020 saw a first for the award.
Tony McCoy and Frankie Dettori may have plied their trade at opposite ends of the racing spectrum, but they do have one thing in common – they are both male. Not so, Hollie Doyle, who finished third behind Lewis Hamilton and Jordan Henderson. That followed a 2020 season in which she became the first female rider to win five races on the same card, broke the record for the number of wins by a female rider in a season and became the first female to ride a winner on Champions Day at Ascot.
