Frankie Dettori to miss Melbourne Cup after collecting 16 days in whip bans

Frankie Dettori’s fairytale ending to his riding career in Britain gained an unwelcome epilogue on Tuesday.

The superstar jockey’s plans to ride in the Melbourne Cup as part of his farewell tour have been thwarted by a lengthy whip ban. The 52-year-old, who is moving full-time to the US at the end of the year after abandoning plans to retire, enjoyed a perfect send-off at Ascot on Saturday when he rode two winners, which included capturing the Qipco Champion Stakes on King Of Steel, his last ride.

But the BHA’s Whip Review Committee have now ruled that he breached the whip rules twice during the afternoon, handing him a total of 16 days in whip bans.

Dettori had given a commitment to ride over three days of the Spring Carnival in Australia, the highlight of which is the Melbourne Cup, a race Dettori has yet to win, on November 7 as well as November 9 and 11.

But he will not be able to ride on any of those days as a result of bans totalling 16 days, which will start on Melbourne Cup day and run to November 24.

The committee said Dettori had exceeded the whip stroke limit of six by one on Trawlerman, winner of the Long Distance Cup, and Kinross, runner-up in the Sprint. The usual penalty for the offence is doubled because both events are Group races.

Dettori was due to fly to Los Angeles this week to begin preparations for the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita on November 3 and 4, but the meeting might now be his last major international racing assignment before the end of the year unless he rides in Hong Kong in December.

Dettori was one of three jockeys to breach the rules at racing’s richest race day with David Allen, who won the Sprint on Art Power, receiving an eight-day ban and Sam James referred to the Judicial Panel for going over the limit for the third time in two days when landing the Filly and Mares on Poptronic.

A BHA spokesperson said: “Ensuring fairness is a key element of the rules and the penalties which are in place – in these cases, those governing the most prestigious and valuable races – are intended to act as a deterrent against overuse of the whip. This is, in part, to ensure that all participants, and those betting on the race, have a fair chance.

“Over the course of the year, we have seen jockeys adapt superbly to the new rules and the overall offence rate has markedly decreased.

“The overall objectives of the rules governing the whip, which came about following a lengthy consultation process and have been refined through regular dialogue with jockeys, are to ensure its more judicious use for encouragement, improving the perception of its use and ensuring that outcomes of races are fair.”