At the 15th time of asking, Frankie Dettori finally won the Derby on a horse called Authorized. As Dettori romped to victory you’d have thought his beloved Italian football team had won the World Cup again.

The happy-go- lucky Signor with a permanent smile couldn’t have picked a prettier setting as he claimed that most precious of prizes. After a glittering career at the top of his sport, Dettori had never won the Derby. But on warm day on the Epsom Downs, he sprinted to the front of a high-class field and never looked in real danger. Some sportsmen hide their emotions but on this perfect day, Dettori simply exploded with joy.

Entering the final straight, the little man in green and yellow star silks cracked his whip and Authorized motored home. It was one of the most riveting of all sporting sights as punters threw their hats into the air roaring their man to the winning post.

With the horses bunched together it was almost as if Dettori knew instinctively that victory was his for the taking. He carefully calculated the odds, glanced across to his rival jockeys and then powered to the front. The triumph was always on the cards.

Of course Frankie Dettori is one of those sportsman for whom life has always been a joyous carnival. Forever cheerful and demonstrative, he jokes and laughs with his admirers as if it were second nature.

After 14 failed attempts, Dettori might have given up on the Derby. He reminded me of the way in which Ivan Lendl, the Czech tennis player, never quite conquered the grass at Wimbledon. But Frankie persevered and one of racing’s richest prizes was his.

Amid all the pomp and ceremony of the Derby, it was easy to see why Dettori is still in love with horse racing. The Royals treat him like a lovable brother, and there is a timeless grandeur about Epsom that Dettori must enjoy.

Once again this little corner of the Surrey countryside had turned out in its best regalia. As far as the eye could see there were smart men in top hats and tails, ladies wearing Stella McCartney’s finest, and outlandish costumes from Oxfam.

You always get the impression that on Derby Day all of England’s class system goes into overdrive. From the businessmen in the City to the farmers in the country the Derby will always hold an enduring appeal.

But for most of us the Derby is the people’s race. Over the years the grand old race has never let us down. Lester Piggott, surely its most popular jockey, seemed to have a monopoly on the Derby. Piggott won it nine times and Tattenham Corner almost became his second home.

When all is said and done, though, the Derby is all about Champagne, excess, and English snobbery. For one glorious day at the beginning of June the potty and pretentious burn a large hole in their wage packets.

Still, as we begin another sporting summer, it's easy to be dismissive of this most English of social events. It may be one of our flashiest and swankiest of horse races but as Frankie Dettori may tell you, it has to be better than Saturday shopping.