Frankie Dettori has revealed that a car crash this summer has left him mentally scarred about getting behind the wheel again. The seven-time Ascot champion jockey broke ribs and a thumb when another vehicle struck the rear passenger side of his car near Newmarket, Suffolk, in July, causing it to spin and flip.
Recovery and forced withdrawal
The 55-year-old has been recovering since the accident. He was due to race in the Betfred Leger Legends race at the St Leger festival this weekend but was forced to pull out because of his recovery. He plans to get back in the saddle for next year's Leger Legends Race.
Speaking at St Leger in Doncaster on Friday, Dettori said the crash has affected his mindset when it comes to cars. He said: "Not about horse racing but being in a car on the road. It wasn't a walk in the park let me tell you. I've been in the car but it is not funny."
Thanks to emergency staff
Dettori paid tribute to the doctors and nurses who helped him after the crash. He shared a photo on social media from his hospital bed a day after the accident, saying he would be "taking some time to rest and recover".
"A huge thank you... to the fantastic emergency staff who looked after me," he added. "I'm very sore and have a few broken ribs."
Reflections on racing and the Injured Jockeys Fund
Dettori retired from racing in 2023. The Leger Legends race is the only UK race run exclusively by ex-professional riders and raises funds for the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF).
Asked what he misses most about horse racing, Dettori said: "I would say the crowd. I don't really miss being a jockey because when I see these lads now, mentally and physically you have to be so fit and I am far from it at the moment."
On plans to race again at the Legends event next year, he said: "I don't think I'll ever reach that level but it is alright to do it just once. All the guys doing it - they want to relive the day of being a jockey, putting on your colours and your boots and racing in front of a crowd - back down memory lane."
On his favourite career memory, Dettori said: "I would say winning the seven at Ascot. At Doncaster, I was lucky enough to win six St Leger's. It has been a very lucky place for me but it is not all about me now. It is about the guys doing it and the Injured Jockeys Fund who, over 60 years, have put effort and charity into supporting the fellow jockeys who had accidents. May it long continue, because it is a very risky sport and we need to look after the people who didn't have as much luck as I did. That is why I am here for the beautiful St Leger's race."
On the importance of the jockeys' fund, he added: "Without them, it would be a big problem. Insurance only covers you for so long. It is not just jockeys, a lot of people who work in racing need looking after."
In June 2000, Dettori survived a light aircraft crash in Newmarket which killed pilot Patrick Mackey. Fellow jockey Ray Cochrane, who later became Dettori's agent, also survived that plane crash.
