Frankie Dettori has told his wife and children they will have to spend Christmas without him this year because he is going to be in California over the winter.
The father-of-five regularly rides overseas between European turf seasons but this year has committed to riding at Santa Anita’s meet in Los Angeles which starts on Boxing Day.
Dettori, 51, had intended to return to the saddle in the New Year but admitted the approach from top jockey’s agent Ron Anderson to ride in the US was too good to turn down as it could open the way to other big rides.
“Ron said, ‘Listen, if you’ll come along for the opening day at Santa Anita and start when everybody else starts, there’s a better chance that we can get the ball rolling and have a good winter’,” Dettori explained in an interview with the Santa Anita media team.
“And so I changed my plans and I spoke to my children. I said ‘I’m not going to be here for Christmas’. They’re adults now, they’re attending university and so on and they don’t believe in Santa Claus anymore.
“All they do is want money,” he joked. “So it was a mutual decision, so that’s why I’m coming over and I’m going to start on Boxing Day. It’s very important to start on opening day with everyone else and have an equal chance to do well.”
Dettori, who will turn 52 on December 15, first visited Santa Anita as a 17-year-old when he galloped horses but despite his extraordinary successes, still has ambitions to fulfil before he retires.
“I might stumble into a very good three-year-old that would take me to Churchill Downs the first Saturday in May. I’m shooting at the stars at the moment, but you never know,” he said.
”I’m not speculating about anything, but I’m going to give it my all and I’m going to enjoy it.”
He continued: “That’s one of the reasons I’m coming to California. I need a new challenge, a new target. I’ll definitely ride next year, after that, I don’t know. So I’m taking one year at a time.
"I like to travel. I like to challenge myself in different places and that’s what keeps me going. It’ll be good to get back to memory lane in Southern California. That’s where I started. So I’m going to try to enjoy my time there as much as I can.”
