Less than six months after his plane crash Frankie Dettori recently thrilled the crowd in Nad Al Sheba, running out a 12-length winner in the second round of the Maktoum Challenge. Dettori was making his first race course appearance since winning the Hong Kong Cup in December.

He may have produced a flawless riding performance but when he put his body to the test with his famous flying dismount, he encountered difficulty.

The Italian, out for a fortnight and evidently short of peak fitness, was completing his recovery after surgery to remove screws from his ankle. The dismount was fine but when the crowd pleaser landed, the smile was there but the body was not quite in the right place. "It shows the fitness isn't quite right," said the jockey. "I knew I had to do it for the crowd but obviously I wasn't ready as my legs buckled on dismount."