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British-based Frankie Dettori has been named the Longines World's Best Jockey for 2015, besting U.S. Triple Crown-winning rider Victor Espinoza and British-based Ryan Moore for the title.
Dettori won five of the world's top 100 group I or grade I races, and four of those—the Investec Derby, Coral-Eclipse, QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes, and Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe—came aboard Golden Horn, Europe's Horse of the Year. His other top victory came in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot with Undrafted.
Dettori will be recognized at a ceremony held during a gala dinner during the Longines Hong Kong International Races, Dec. 11 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. It was a banner year for the rider, who also notched group I victories in the Prix de Diane Longines (French Oaks), Darley Prix Morny, and Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes.
Scoring for the award credits jockeys for finishing in the top three, and Dettori's mounts also finished second four times and third four times in qualifying races. Dettori had the most top-three finishes of any jockey, and it was that remarkable consistency that helped him win the title with a total of 100 points.
Espinoza, who guided American Pharoah to the first Triple Crown in 37 years this spring, and Moore tied for second, finishing with 90 points each. France's Maxime Guyon finished close behind in fourth with 88 points. Moore, who was injured for part of the year, won the inaugural Longines World's Best Jockey Award in 2014. The full and final standings can be found at www.ifhaonline.org.
The awarding of the Longines World's Best Jockey is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated group I and grade I races as established for the year by the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee, which is responsible for compiling the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings that are published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
The scoring incorporates races from Dec. 1 of the previous year until Nov. 30 of the current year. Jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, six points for placing second, and four points for placing third. This system and the presentation of the Longines World's Best Jockey Award were both established in 2014. It marked the first time a jockey was quantitatively recognized as the best among his or her global peers.
