#Ray Cochrane

With Frankie Dettori already off the mark on the first day of this year's Royal Ascot (16 June), we take a look at the reasons why the Italian jockey is such a favourite with the public - and it's not just for his flying dismounts… Lanfranco Dettori, the son of Italian champion jockey Gianfranco Dettori and a circus performer mother, was born in…

A schoolgirl who sparked a Twitter hunt for jockey Frankie Dettori was finally united with her hero at Newmarket Racecourse. Lillie May, 10, sent a letter to the Italian jockey in February to ask for a signed picture to display in her school, St. Andrew's Church of England Primary School in Soham, Cambridgeshire, but was unable to reach him. After…

The 52-year-old, one of the sport's best-known figures, has ridden more than 3300 British winners since his first back in 1987. His wins also include 21 British Classic successes and three champion jockey titles. "Next year, 2023, will be my final professional year as a jockey. It's something I've been thinking about for a while," he told ITV…

Chief Singer won the Coventry Stakes on his debut in 1983 Holloway Boy may have stunned punters with his 40-1 debut success in the Chesham Stakes, but he is not the first two-year-old to defy inexperience and triumph at Royal Ascot first time out. It happened in the same race in 1996 when the late Hamdan Al Maktoum's home-bred colt Shamikh, trained…