How does David Nicholson grow apples overnight? Will Stewards' Inquiry save Francome's fifty quid bet with Stack? Which "relieved" member of the Dettori household narrowly avoids a visit to the Tower? Which Establishment figure is behind one of the "villains of Windsor's" betting coup? In Tall Tales from the Weighing Room Frankie Dettori and friends answer these and many more Earth-shattering questions. Since arriving at Luton airport at the age of fourteen, unable to speak English and a Paddington Bear-style tag around his neck, Frankie Dettori has spent more than twenty-five years in the saddle, proving himself as a top jockey and gaining public renown and affection for his unprecedented seven wins at Ascot, his trademark flying dismount and quick wit. From his vantage point inside the weighing room he has seen it all: intense jockey rivalries and gamesmanship, camaraderie and sportsmanship, gambling addictions, disastrous bets, brilliant victories and fortunes won and lost. Here in the pages of this fascinating and entertaining book he offers an insight into the world of racing that exists far from the glamour of Ladies Day and the National. It's a hell of a ride. Populated by the colourful cast of characters including some of racing's most famous and charismatic figures - including Richard Dunwoody, Victor Chandler, Mick Fitzgerald, Peter Scudamore, Michael Hills and John McCririck - Tall Tales from the Weighing Room opens a door previously closed to the public to reveal the fun, the laughter, the personality clashes, the tensions, the highs, the lows, the success and the anguish of the Sport of Kings. Frankie Dettori was born in Milan in 1970, and his career as a jockey has earned him legendary status. To date he has ridden the winners of ninety-eight Group One races and in 1996 he won all seven races on a single day at the Ascot festival.
After surviving a tragic plane crash that claimed the life of the pilot, he says he no longer worries about the 'little things'. In 2000 he was awarded the MBE. He lives in Stetchworth with his wife Catherine and their five children, Leo, Ella, Mia, Tallulah and Rocco.