[NoChanceToDance]

Frankie Dettori

by Racing Post staff

Age Very young <37>

Marital status Married to Catherine with five children: Leo, Ella, Mia, Tallulah and Rocco

Licensed since In Italy 1986, and then in England in '87

Retainer Godolphin

Lives Stetchworth, near Newmarket

Drives A Mercedes S Class 320 Diesel. I was also given a black Bentley for winning the Derby from some very nice owners (he also has a Ferrari)

Agent Ray Cochrane

What's your perfect night in, and your perfect night out? My perfect night in would be to have a group of friends around, cook them something nice, have some drinks and then blast the music. I recently got a set of mixing decks and I like to drive everybody crazy with the loud music. A perfect night out would have to be somewhere to eat. If I am in London I love to go to my restaurant, Frankie's, in Knightsbridge, with a group of friends. I then enjoy going for a dance with Catherine and a few others in a club afterwards.

You've picked up a two-day suspension – what are you going to do to entertain yourself? I usually just hang around at home, watch TV, and become a bit of a couch potato. If I'm suspended for a bit longer, I try to go abroad.

What's your favourite holiday destination? I love to go to Sardinia as often as I can and with all the suspensions I've had this season, that seems to be quite a lot! My father comes from there and we have a lot of family links. The kids and my wife all love it, especially when the weather's good. Every year I try to get off to Ibiza for a boys' weekend with one of my friends – definitely no children around then!

Who'd be your ideal three companions for the long drive to Musselburgh? I'd have the stallsman John Duffy, as he's hilarious. Then there'dbe fellow jockeys Martin Dwyer and Adam Kirby. Any of them could drive as long as it wasn't me. I'm not the greatest driver.

What CDs would you keep in the glove compartment for when the conversation dries up? I'm into house music and like to play lots of dance – hence the decks. I'm always swapping CDs with Robert Havlin, as we have the same taste. Generally, when I'm driving, I'll listen to anything – pop, rock, or mainly just the radio.

Who are your biggest heroes – in and out of racing? My greatest sporting hero is Ayrton Senna. He was so professional. Above all, I admire his interviews and his total dedication to sport. Otherwise, my father would have to be my greatest hero. He has had such an influence on my life and gave me the inspiration to do what I am now. Even now we are constantly in touch. He's my biggest critic and yet we have a great father/son relationship.

What things excite you – and what do you find a turnoff? I always look forward to the weekend –big races, big stage, big occasion, big favourites, big wins – you just can't beat it! The thing I look forward to less is driving down to Bath on a Monday.

What's the funniest thing that ever happened to you in the course of your work? Something happens every day! One occasion that does spring to mind was about two years ago at Newmarket, when a lad from Eastern Europe was leading up a runner. Now, being foreign, I understand the problem of language, but when the bell went for jockeys to mount, I went over to the horse and he kept on waving me off. I couldn't understand what he was saying and why he kept on walking past. In the end I got on and it wasn't until that moment that I realised it was the wrong horse! Talk about language barriers!

If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be? I would halve the fixture list.

If you hadn't been a jockey, what would you like to have done? When I was a kid I wanted to be afootballer. Unfortunately I was too small, or maybe it was because I wasn't good enough. Now I could see myself running a restaurant because I love food and cooking, but in the job I'm in, it's not often you find me in the kitchen.

Do you ever read the Betfair forum? No – what's that? I'm so technically incapable I can hardly turn on the computer.

What's the daftest question you've ever been asked by a journalist?
There's definitely been a lot – and not all of them racing orientated. The more stupid ones I try to ignore.

What are the best and worst rides you have ever given a horse? The best would be Fantastic Light in the 2001 Irish Champion Stakes. There was a great tussle between us and Galileo and it turned into a tactical affair. Luckily the tactics worked out for us and we won by a head. The worst – well, the ride I received most criticism for – was Swain in the 1998 Breeders' Cup. Personally, I didn't think it was that bad, we finished a close third, but the critics were unimpressed.

What's the biggest regret of your career? I don't have any regrets. Not because I don't believe in them but because right now I'm living the dream.