Dettori Extends Lead in World’s Best Jockey Competition

Lanfranco “Frankie” Dettori extended his lead in the 2015 LONGINES World’s Best Jockey competition with his thrilling victory aboard Golden Horn in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris. However, with fewer than 20 races to go, his claim on the title is by no means a lock.

Dettori now has 88 points, putting him 12 points ahead of Maxime Guyon, who is in second. As the regular rider of Solow, Guyon could close the gap in the upcoming Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Sponsored by QIPCO on 17 October.

Close behind is Victor Espinoza, who sits in third with 72 points. Espinoza partnered with American Pharoah to take the Triple Crown earlier this year, and the duo are set to team up again in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at the end of the month.  Javier Castellano, who is also based in the United States, is right behind Espinoza with 70 points.

Also in with a chance is James McDonald, who led the standings at the beginning of the year. He rides predominantly in Australia and currently has 66 points.

The scoring for the award is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races established for the year by the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races from 1 December of last year until 30 November of this year. Jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, 6 points for placing second, and 4 points for placing third.

Source: International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA)