Jockey Frankie Dettori faces a potential six-month ban from riding when the stewards of France Galop meet in Paris today.
The charismatic Italian tested positive for a prohibited substance at Longchamp on September 16, a day after Doncaster’s St Leger, and the medical commission of the French racing authority passed its findings to the stewards for their consideration.
Dettori was temporarily suspended from riding in France with immediate effect on medical grounds, and his solicitor, Christopher Stewart-Moore, issued a statement saying the 41-year-old “accepts their conclusions without reservation”.
These are challenging times for Dettori after his 18-year association with Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation came to an end in October, with the three-times champion jockey planning to ride as a freelance in 2013.
Still the most recognisable face in British racing, Dettori’s finest day in the saddle came at Ascot in 1996 when he rode all seven winners – a feat that became known as ‘The Magnificent Seven’. Any ban is likely to apply to racing worldwide.
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