Frankie’s Fabulous Five Lockinge Wins

Frankie Dettori’s Fabulous Five Wins of the Lockinge Stakes

The retiring Frankie Dettori looks set to race in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury one final time on Saturday 20 May 2023, and ahead of Newbury’s Group One showpiece we’ve taken a look back at Frankie’s previous five wins in the big race. Read on to find out more.


1994 – Emperor Jones

Frankie Dettori’s maiden Lockinge Stakes victory came twenty-nine years ago when he steered Emperor Jones to victory in 1994. Then a Group 2 race, Emperor Jones won for trainer John Gosden and owner Sheikh Mohammed at odds of 11/2. The son of Danzig won in impressive style, drawing 3 ½ lengths clear from Alflora to provide John Gosden with the first of three victories in the race. Following his Lockinge win, Emperor Jones went on to finish a neck second to Barathea in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot a month later. As a three-year-old he placed in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Celebration Mile and Park Stakes, however Frankie took over the reins for his four-year-old campaign and landed the biggest victory of Emperor Jones’ career when winning the Lockinge Stakes. Frankie went on to have his best year numerically in 1994 with 233 winners and secured his first of three British jockeys’ championships with subsequent titles coming in 1995 and 2004.

 Watch here > https://youtu.be/tOIX6ZGuuEY 

2000 – Aljabr

The 1998 Cartier champion two-year-old, Aljabr, won Group 1’s at two and three including the Prix de la Salamandre and Sussex Stakes. Trained by Saeed bin Suroor for Godolphin, Frankie Dettori partnered Aljabr to his final Group 1 victory in the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes in 2000 as a four-year-old before he was retired to stud later that year.  Sent off 8/13 favourite, the son of Storm Cat made all to win by two lengths from Trans Island, trained by Kingsclere based Ian Balding. The front running ride by Frankie Dettori, at this time retained jockey for Godolphin, secured his second Lockinge Stakes victory. Less than two weeks later, Frankie Dettori was involved a plane crash alongside fellow jockey Ray Cochrane in which he was lucky to survive with the crash tragically claiming the life of the pilot.  Frankie Dettori was awarded an honorary MBE for his services to sport in the New Year Honours list.

Watch here > https://youtu.be/DsaTitPuGH8

2008 – Creachadoir

Creachadoir, the 3-1 favourite in the 2008 Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes, powered home to win by three-quarters of a length over Phoenix Tower. Creachadoir provided owner Godolphin with their fourth win in the race within a ten-year period. Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, he ran once more in the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba in March 2009 before being retired to stud. His victory in the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes was the biggest of Creachadoir’s racing career.

 Watch here > https://youtu.be/6ih299mjbLA

2014 – Olympic Glory

Frankie Dettori was employed as first jockey to Al Shaqab Racing in June 2013, the racing operation of Sheikh Joaan Al Thani, following an 18-year stint as retained jockey to Godolphin.  The partnership got off to a great start when landing the JLT Lockinge with Olympic Glory trained by Richard Hannon. The winner, sent off at 11/8 favourite, provided Frankie with his 200th Group 1 success but also his first Group 1 winner since the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in 2012. Having only taken over the licence from his father on 1 January 2014, the win provided Richard Hannon Jnr with his second Group 1 winner, following in his father’s footsteps who had won the Lockinge on three previous occasions. Richard Hannon Jnr went on to be crowned champion trainer in 2014, his first season as a trainer.

 Watch here > https://youtu.be/KkGuZLk6ELI

2021 – Palace Pier

In front of empty crowds amidst the depths of the Coronavirus pandemic, Palace Pier pulled clear from his rivals to win the Al Shaqab Lockinge in very decisive fashion. The son of Kingman won five Group 1’s throughout his career before retiring after being beaten by eventual 2022 Lockinge winner Baaeed in the 2021 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Frankie Dettori partnered Palace Pier, trained by John and Thady Gosden, to all his Group 1 victories for owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.

Watch here > https://youtu.be/281z_ajNM24


Tickets and a limited number of hospitality packages are still available for the Al Shaqab Lockinge on Saturday 20 May – which includes Ladies Day and an Ibiza-themed afterparty – and these can be browsed via the link below.

Tickets & Hospitality