Housewives' favourite Frankie Dettori is a racing superstar, whose fame spreads a long way beyond the track.

The Italian-born jockey even has his own range of frozen pizzas and ice cream.

Dettori's popularity is partly due to his friendly disposition and his willngness to entertain, epitomised by his trademark flying dismount after every Group One winner.

But he captured the attention of people all over the world by riding every winner on a seven-race card at Ascot on 28 September, 1996.

His magnificent seven cleaned out the bookies, and even halted BBC Grandstand's Final score as the cameras showed live coverage of his success.

Little wonder then that punters latch on to Dettori's horses - the so-called Frankie Factor.

The jockey has suffered his share of traumas, missing the 2000 Royal Ascot meeting as he recovered from injuries sustained in a plane crash which killed the pilot.

Yet he savoured several big-race successes in 2001, most notably when Sakhee claimed the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, notching up Dettori's 100th career Group One win.

And he has racked up another couple of Classic wins with Kazzia winning both the 1,000 Guineas and the Oaks, although the Derby continues to elude him.

Dettori has been top jockey at Goodwood's July meeting on three occasions, most recently in 1999.

His highlight of Glorious Goodwood last year was victory in the Sussex Stakes on Noverre, which was his third win in the feature race of the meeting.

It was a quiet festival for Dettori in 2002, and his only winner came on a non-Godolphin horse.