Racing: Double century for Dettori

A TREBLE at York yesterday enabled Lanfranco Dettori to become only the sixth jockey in British turf history to ride 200 winners in a season. Though he is still some way short of the all-time record of 269 set by Sir Gordon Richards in 1947, that total is beginning to look vulnerable for the first time since Sir Gordon's retirement.

Lower Egypt, Menas Gold and Shoaq Albarr gave Dettori his second century, precisely eight months after a double at Lingfield on 1 January launched his bid for his first jockeys' title, an honour which now seems assured. He has ridden in 1,056 races to reach his landmark, but his success cannot be ascribed simply to his remarkable appetite for hard work. 'He's got superb hands and great balance,' John Gosden, Dettori's principal employer, said yesterday. 'He gets most of his runs out of the horse before he resorts to the stick.'

In addition to Richards and Dettori, only Pat Eddery, Michael Roberts, Tommy Loates and Fred Archer have passed the 200- mark in a season. Now that the evening racing season is over, Dettori will have seven rides a day at best, and Richards's record may well resist his assault. A more immediate target is the best total recorded by his father Gianfranco in Italy, 229. 'He's been winding me up about it,' Dettori said.