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HarperNonFiction has signed the autobiography of horseracing legend Frankie Dettori, to be published on 28th October.
Executive publisher Oli Malcolm acquired world all language rights to the jockey's memoir Leap of Faith from Peter Burrell at H Talent Management.
Dettori, now 50, continues to rack up winners in the biggest races. The publisher said: "His story, however, is not simply one of uninterrupted success, but one of personal anguish, of recovery and of restoration along the way – both in and out of the saddle. For the first time, in Leap of Faith, Frankie tells the story of the plane crash that almost killed him, the drugs ban that nearly made him quit the sport, and the acrimonious split from Godolphin that threatened his future. Leap of Faith is also a story of love – for the sport he continues to dominate to this day, for the great horses of his era – Golden Horn, Stradivarius, and of course Enable – and it’s a tale of remarkable horsemanship, resilience and will."
Dettori said: “I wrote a book maybe 15 years ago now around 2005. At that time I could simply never have imagined that I would still be in the saddle aged 50. But more than that I would never have predicted — not in my wildest dreams — the incredible journey I have been on. My life has been a wonderful, extraordinary privilege and you know, I don’t think I would change a thing.”
Malcolm added: “I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that Frankie Dettori is one of the greatest, if not the greatest jockey of all time. Frankie’s story is one of extraordinary highs and lows, of personality and good humour, of recovery and longevity, but most of all of absolute passion for a sport that he continues to love and dominate to this day: a staggering achievement.”
Dettori has sold 111,664 books for £2.5m through Nielsen BookScan in the UK since records began in 1998. His 2004 autobiography Frankie (Willow) has sold 90,312 copies in hardback and 19,456 in paperback.