Dubai: Frankie Dettori, who will part ways with the Godolphin stable at the end of the season, can bask in the mark of respect he has been awarded by his long-time friend and Godolphin teammate Saeed Bin Surour, who has described him as the ‘best jockey in the world’.
Dettori and Bin Surour forged one of horseracing’s most formidable partnerships during their 18-year alliance, during which they won almost 1,000 races in 14 countries, including 110 at Group One Level.
Following Sunday’s news that the the Italian superstar would no longer be retained by Godolphin from next year, although he will continue to ride for the stable when required, Bin Surour said he was ‘sad’ that the partnership would be broken.
“We started the journey together in 1994, and what a journey it has been,” Bin Surour told Gulf News from Newmarket, England.
“From day one it felt special. Frankie is a special kind of person — you get that feeling whenever he is around. And he’s even more special when you put him in the saddle.
“I’m proud to say that I had the best jockey in the world riding for me. Without him, I don’t think I could have won all those races. Just looking back at what we achieved together seems unbelievable.”
Dettori won 10 British Classics for Bin Surour, including five in the St Leger, the oldest Classic in the world. But it was at Royal Ascot where they shone the most, and perhaps none brighter than in the Gold Cup, which they won five times, most recently with Colour Vision.
Asked to describe what was it that made them click, Bin Surour said without hesitation: “The respect we had for each other. We never doubted each other’s abilities. We believed in each other and I think that always made the difference.
“We were like brothers. In 18 years we saw each other more than we saw our families. We were continually in connection, professionally and emotionally. He knew what was expected of him and I knew what he expected of me.
“We got to know each other more and more each day, our strengths and our weaknesses, if there were any. We travelled around the UK and Europe together. We competed at every major racecourse in the world together. We had some terrific moments together and some disappointments as well, but we took both in the right spirit as horseracing can be an unpredictable sport.”
While Bin Surour was not willing to single out any one particular highlight of their association, he said that winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) in 1999 with Daylami was perhaps their finest hour.
“It was my first Breeders’ Cup success and Frankie rode a huge race on Daylami, who had an explosive turn of foot, to win the Turf at Gulfstream Park in Florida,” Bin Surour said. “It was an unbelievable occasion. I can almost recall the race as if it only happened a few days ago. Daylami’s Breeders’ Cup victory capped a brilliant year for the horse who won the Coronation Cup, the King George and the Champion Stakes. Frankie was on board on all those wonderful wins.”
Bin Surour added: “Life goes on, for both of us. But I would like to wish him all the very best as he confronts his new challenges, and I hope that we can team-up again, whenever possible. Because I will really miss him.”
