Al Shaqab’s No.1 jockey Dettori is ‘World’s Best’

Frankie Dettori received the 2015 Longines World’s Best Jockey Award at the Gala Dinner of the Longines Hong Kong International Races held on Friday.

By Sports Reporter/DohaAl Shaqab’s number one jockey Frankie Dettori was honoured as the recipient of the 2015 Longines World’s Best Jockey Award at the Gala Dinner of the Longines Hong Kong International Races held on Friday at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.The Longines World’s Best Jockey Award is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races from December 1 of the previous year until November 30 of the current year.  Jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, 6 points for placing second and 4 points for placing third.Dettori won five of the qualifying races while finishing second four times and third four times. Overall, he accumulated 100 points to take the title, and he had the highest three finishes of any jockey in the world. Four of Dettori’s five victories — the  Investec Derby, Coral-Eclipse, QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes, and Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe— came aboard the European Horse of the Year Golden Horn while the fifth came at Royal Ascot with Undrafted in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Other Group 1 victories to Dettori’s credit in 2015 included the Prix de Diane Longines, Darley Prix Morny, and Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes.“Frankie Dettori is one of the stars of the racing world,” said IFAH Chairman, Louis Romanet. “His ride in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Golden Horn was an absolute masterpiece. Furthermore, his consistency during the course of the year was remarkable. He is a deserving winner.”Ryan Moore, who won the inaugural Longines World’s Best Jockey title in 2014, and Victor Espinoza, who piloted American Pharoah to Triple Crown glory, tied for second, finishing with 90 points each.  Maxime Guyon finished fourth (88 points) and Javier Castellano fifth (86 points). James McDonald (82 points), Joel Rosario (60 points), Tommy Berry (56 points), Hugh Bowman (54 points) and Christophe Soumillon (52 points) completed the top ten.