Racing at the Laureus World Awards

Racing was represented at the Laureus World Sports Awards by jockeys Richard Hills and Frankie Dettori. The prestigious event was held on Monday night at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi and many of the stars past and present of world sport were present including Zinedine Zidane, Kelly Holmes, Alistair Cook, Kelly Slater, Colin Montgomerie, Boris Becker, Edwyn Moses and Gianfranco Zola

Hills, who is Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s retained jockey said: “it is an honour to be here tonight.” And both Dettori and Hills joked with the media about their chances of winning the Dubai World Cup this year Hills saying: “I will be trying my best” and Dettori adding: “I am very hopeful of winning but it is going to be tough.”  

Sadly racing was not amongst the nominations and winners, but Dettori played a part in the ceremony presenting a prize the Comeback of the Year to Italy’s seven-time motorcycle world champion Valentino Rossi but the Sportsman of the year was Rafael Nadal who won three tennis Grand Slams in 2010 at Wimbledon, Rolland Garros and Flushing Meadows. American Skier Lindsey Vonn won the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year and the Spanish football team were Laureus Team of the Year.

Dettori is the first jockey to HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Godolphin operation signed off with the familiar friendly cry of: “see you at the races” and we cannot wait to see him tonight at Meydan.