Legendary rider Lanfranco “Frankie” Dettori will be crowned the 2018 Longines World’s Best Jockey this December in Hong Kong. He has won the award twice in the last four years, as he first took the title in 2015.
Showing his versatility, Dettori won eight of the world’s Top 100 Group or Grade 1 races aboard five different horses this year. His qualifying victories came in the Prix Ganay - Prix de l'Inauguration de ParisLongchamp (Cracksman), Investec Coronation Cup (Cracksman), St James's Palace Stakes (Without Parole), Gold Cup (Stradivarius), Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Enable), QIPCO Champion Stakes (Cracksman), Breeders’ Cup Mile (Expert Eye), and Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (Enable).
The scoring process rewards jockeys for finishing in the top three, giving Dettori a total of 128 points on the year. Second place went to Oisin Murphy, who finished with 114 points, while Ryan Moore was third with 112 points.
Dettori joins Moore as a two-time winner of the Longines World’s Best Jockey award, which was established in 2014. Moore won in the inaugural year and in 2016. Hugh Bowman was honoured last year.
A ceremony will be held during the gala dinner of the Longines Hong Kong International Races on 7 December 2018 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre to recognise Dettori. The full and final standings can be found at
www.ifhaonline.org
The awarding of the Longines World’s Best Jockey 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 1 December of the previous year until 30 November of the current year. Jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, 6 points for placing second, and 4 points for placing third.
The Longines World’s Best Jockey Award was established five years ago by Longines and the IFHA as a way to quantitatively recognise a jockey as the best among his or her global peers. It marked the first time a rider was honoured in such a way.
