Frankie Dettori escapes injury after bad fall before loose filly prompts search

Frankie Dettori found himself on the floor during the opening race on Future Champions Day at Newmarket after his mount Liftoff clipped heels and sent herself and her rider spiralling to the ground.

The juvenile filly, who was taking part in the Group 3 Zetland Stakes, was racing towards the rear of the field when she came down just after the four furlong marker. Both horse and rider were quickly to their feet after the fall.

While Dettori was checked over by the doctors, Liftoff galloped loose across the Heath that surrounds Newmarket racecourse before being caught not too far from the neighbouring July Course.

Dettori, who brushed off his fall and went on to land Group 1 success on Chaldean in the Dewhurst, said: “I’m fine, the filly just clipped heels – she races with her head a bit high. I don’t envy jump jockeys.”

Liftoff was confirmed to be none the worse for the fall by John Gosden, who trains the filly for the Thoroughbred Racing Corporation alongside his son Thady.

How it happened

Credit: Racing TV

Liftoff (green cap) is travelling smoothly towards the rear of the field under Frankie Dettori

Credit: Racing TV

But disaster soon strikes as the filly clips heels with one of her rivals and tumbles to the ground

Credit: Racing TV

Dettori is thrown to the turf as the rest of the field charges on and thankfully he emerged unscathed before going on to win the Dewhurst on Chaldean

“She’s absolutely fine,” he said. “She clipped heels and went down. She then had a nice run around and for a look at the July Course before coming back. She’s fine and the jockey rode in the next, so it was all all right.”

A report posted by stewards at Newmarket confirmed Dettori said the fall was due to “the filly running onto and clipping the heels with Band Of Steel.”

Groundstaff were shown repairing the area where Liftoff and Dettori had fallen, and Newmarket’s clerk of the course and director of racing Michael Prosser said: “The filly just clipped heels, Frankie said so straight away. You could see that there was turf that had come up as a result of the fall, so we have just packed it in.”

The Zetland was the first leg of a double for trainer Charlie Appleby, jockey William Buick and Godolphin with Flying Honours taking the prize before Silver Knott won the Autumn Stakes.

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