Dettori out of the saddle pending inquiry into failed drug test

The former Godolphin jockey stays silent as an investigation is launched into his ride at Longchamp last September.

The 41 year old and former Godolphin jockey, Frankie Dettori, has stepped down and made himself unavailable for all his rides as a freelancer for the Doncaster meeting in England for Saturday.

Frankie Dettori's annus horribilis took another turn for the worse last night when it emerged he had tested positive for a banned substance.

The world's most famous jockey failed the test on September 16 at Longchamp in France, where he had partnered the Godolphin pair of Farhh in the Prix Moulin and Willing Foe in the Prix Gladiateur, in major trials for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe meeting.

Dettori will face a hearing with France Galop next week, his solicitor Christopher Stewart-Moore said.

"On behalf of Frankie Dettori I can confirm that, as a consequence of a positive test at Longchamp on September 16, 2012, he will be the subject of an inquiry by the Medical Committee of France Galop next week," Stewart-Moore said in a statement.

"In compliance with, and out of respect for, the regulations of France Galop, he will not be commenting further until the France Galop procedures have been completed."

Stewart-Moore is the same solicitor that represented Kieren Fallon when the jockey was banned for 18 months for cocaine in 2007.

Dettori, who is reportedly in Dubai, was in line to ride at Doncaster in England on Saturday but passed up his rides after making himself unavailable.

It was announced last month that the 41-year-old rider was to split from Godolphin after an 18-year association with the international stable set up in the mid-1990s by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The split came on the back of an increased marginalisation after Mickael Barzalona and Silvestre de Sousa were recruited to the Godolphin fold earlier this year.

Barzalona rode Monterrosso to win the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in March, and was in the saddle again for Godolphin's only British Classic winner of the season when partnering Encke to win the St Leger.

Dettori rode nine English Classic winners for Godolphin, including their first when Balanchine won the 1994 Oaks, and he has 110 Group or Grade 1 winners for the Dubai-based operation. He also rode the great Dubai Millennium to victory in the 2000 Dubai World Cup, one of his three wins in the world's richest race.

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