Over 120 lots of trophies, prizes, silks and memorabilia from horse racing legend, Frankie Dettori, will be sold at Cheffins in Cambridge as part of a timed online auction, from 5 July until 18 July.
Frankie Dettori, the 52-year-old jockey, has had over 4000 wins as part of his illustrious career and is now looking to ‘scale down’ his property, with his wife Catherine.
As part of their move, they have been clearing out the thousands of prizes and trophies won over his career. He said:
“All my kids have branched out so it’s only myself and Catherine my wife left, so we’re planning to rent the house, scale down and move towards London a bit. And I’d like to travel the world a bit.”
Set to retire this November, Frankie Dettori said, “I’m going to be 53 and I wanted to stop at the top. I still feel that I’m riding well enough to finish at the top. I think it’s the right time. My heart doesn’t want to stop but my brain is telling me to stop. It’s not going to be easy. We’re going to move away from Newmarket. Newmarket’s been my life. We’re scaling down and I’ve got so much stuff, we thought we might as well just auction it. I didn’t realise because they end up in drawers, in cupboards, in the cellar. I mean they’re all over the place. Now we’re clearing up a lot of stuff we didn’t realise how much accumulated in so many years.”
Included in the sale are a number of important memorabilia items, most notably are the jockey weighing scales, which were gifted to Dettori by champion American jockey Steve Cauthen and which Dettori claims he has been “jumping on and off for over thirty years,” and which have been signed.
There is also Dettori’s trophy from his 2023 win at The Betfred Oaks, this was his last ride at Epsom, and could potentially be his final trophy from a Classic win, should he not win at the Saint Leger in September. Other key lots include his royal blue ex-Godolphin silks, a pair of boots which have been signed and were worn by Dettori during various races in Saudi Arabia in 2023, and a saddle which is again signed and was used by Dettori at Epsom in 2007.
These items will be offered alongside hundreds of trophies, salvers, plaques and medals which have been won by Dettori in the most prestigious race meetings the world over, including throughout the UK, USA, Middle East, Singapore, Hong Kong and Europe. There is also signed copies of his book, “A Year in the Life of Frankie Dettori,” signed photographs, limited edition prints and signed saddle cloths.
Frankie Dettori said it was difficult to know which of his many prizes to sell and which to keep. He said: “You need a mansion to put the trophies up. I tried to keep something which means something to me…but the rest is going up to auction.”
Harriet Lusty, Deputy Saleroom Manager at Cheffins comments:
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own prizes and memorabilia from one of the greatest sports personalities worldwide. Frankie Dettori is a household name, and with his retirement on the horizon, the family have been looking to downsize the house and needed to find new homes for his thousands of prizes and trophies, which were kept in garages and cellars and throughout his property just outside of Newmarket. This one-off sale will take place solely online over a two-week period and will include some of the most significant prizes Frankie has won to date. This is an incredible opportunity for fans of horseracing, and we expect interest from buyers not only from the UK but also from across Europe, the Middle East and also the US as Frankie Dettori is consistently the most famous name in the sport worldwide. Generally, these prizes from top athletes are kept under lock and key, so this is a really unusual scenario where everyday fans can own a part of sporting history.”
Part of the proceeds will go to the charity Direct Aid for Africa (DAFA), and some will go to Dettori’s five children.
Auction: The Frankie Dettori Sale – 5th – 18th July
Location: Timed online at https://www.cheffins.co.uk/fine-art.htm
