Frankie Dettori gets better of Ryan Moore at Derby awards

Cracksman and a jubilant Dettori after winning the QIPCO Champion Stakes. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Frankie Dettori was named Jockey of the Year at the 51st annual Horserace Writers & Photographers Association (HWPA) Derby Awards Lunch in London today.

Dettori was winning the award for the sixth time – the last occasion being in 2004 – and was given the nod ahead of Ryan Moore, Silvestre de Sousa and P J McDonald.

The three-time champion jockey has enjoyed a memorable year and won five QIPCO British Champions Series races – all for trainer John Gosden.

Dettori guided the brilliant Enable to victory in the Investec Oaks, King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) and Darley Yorkshire Oaks. And on Champions Day at Ascot he enjoyed a fantastic double through Cracksman in the QIPCO Champions Stakes and Persuasive in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Prince Khalid Abdullah was named Owner of the Year, with the exploits of Enable helping him scoop the accolade for a sixth time.

Aidan O’Brien was voted Flat Trainer of the Year after a record-breaking 2017 in which he saddled the winners of 13 Champions Series races and 27 Group 1 contests. John Gosden, Clive Cox and Karl Burke were the other nominees.

The HWPA President’s Award went to David Elsworth, whose training career started in 1978 and shows no signs of stopping just yet.

Elsworth won this year’s Doncaster Cup – part of the Long Distance category of the Champions Series – with Desert Skyline and he said how special the victory had been to him.