‘It changed my life, it changed my sport’ – The day Frankie Dettori cost the bookies £30m at Ascot

Frankie Dettori has enjoyed a tremendous career and the jockey has cost the bookies many millions over the years.

The 51-year-old is one of the most celebrated jockeys of the last few decades, being Champion Jockey on three occasions and riding more than 500 winners.

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He has been a particular favourite of Queen Elizabeth II, giving her plenty of winners over the years.

It is Ascot that has a particularly special place in his heart, though, thanks to an incredible achievement back in September 1996.

Dettori became a household name when he remarkably rode all seven winners on the final day of Ascot that year.

It was estimated that the bookmakers lost £30million because of his achievement - a feat we are unlikely to see on that scale anytime soon.

The cumulative odds of these wins was 25,051-1, and earned one lucky punter an incredible £500,000.

Fittingly, his first winner was Wall Street, followed by Diffident, Mark of Esteem, Decorated Hero, Fatefully, and Lochangel.

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The BBC then interrupted its coverage of Grandstand to broadcast live from Ascot as the bookies slash the odds of Dettori’s seventh, and final, horse of the day - Fujiyama Crest.

"I walked into the paddock and they had the betting board," Dettori told . "I glanced up and saw Fujiyama Crest was 2/1 favourite. I had a chuckle to myself: 'People must be stupid, it was 12/1 five minutes ago. This horse can't win'.

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"I managed to get him to the front and decided to kick early and get them all stretched out. They were all queuing up to get to me and I thought someone would come out of the pack and beat me.

"We got past the furlong marker and I was tired, Fujiyama Crest's head is on the floor and we're just waiting for the line. I thought: 'He's going to pass me, he's going to pass me, but he didn't'. Then it was chaos."

It’s fair to say that day changed the Italian’s life and he became on of the most recognisable figures in horse racing.

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"The next morning I couldn't wait to get the papers,” he added. “I used to get them delivered on a Sunday, so I opened the door in my t-shirt and underpants and it was like a scene from Notting Hill, all the paparazzi taking pictures and TV cameras. I realised then the impact this had had on the world.

"Myself and Peter Burrel my manager, we took advantage of it the opportunity to promote myself and racing. I did everything.

"It changed my life and it changed my sport."

Dettori heads back to that same venue this week for Royal Ascot - a meeting he has been riding at for 35 years.

He told this week: “I’ve been blessed to have travelled the globe riding horses at the biggest meetings on the planet but I can tell you, NOTHING even comes close to Royal Ascot.”