Frankie Dettori can’t believe how popular he is proving during his visit to the United States and wishes he had made the move ten years ago.
The world’s most famous jockey who is in his final year in the saddle has chosen to spend the winter riding at Santa Anita Park, in Los Angeles, since Christmas.
With eight winners since the meet opened on December 26, he is in joint second place in the track’s jockey standings following a double on Saturday.
He is flying to the east coast this week to ride at Gulfstream Park in Miami where he is due to ride Last Samurai in the £2.4 million Pegasus World Cup and Hurricane Dream in the £800,000 Pegasus World Cup Turf.
‘It’s going better than expected,” Dettori told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast. “I’ve been here four weeks now. I made a great start riding a treble on the opening day to get the ball rolling.
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“I am really enjoying it. It’s beyond my wildest dreams to think I was going to be second in the table in Santa Anita.”
Santa Anita, where he is staying for ten weeks, has become the first destination on a farewell world tour for the 52-year-old who has ridden more than 3.300 winners in Britain.
He has had to adjust to a different lifestyle, starting work earlier and eating earlier, and is enjoying the experience especially as he doesn’t have to do any travelling to different racetracks.
His biggest win to date came on the opening day when he was reunited with Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer.
“He is going to go to Saudi and Dubai,” he said. “He is a very important horse for me because it’s massive money.
“It took me a couple of racing days to really switch on. You have to be on the ball from the minute you start to the minute you finish. It’s completely different riding, not like Europe where we have time to get a position.”
He continued: “I’m absolutely loving it, with regrets as well because I wish I did this ten years ago. I didn’t realise I was going to go down so well here.
“I am going to Gulfstream this week, which is massive. Next week my wife is coming over and then all the nice three-year-old races are starting. There is plenty to play for.”
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