Despite the fact that Frankie Dettori has not yet ridden his last race, his legend has already been set in stone. Born in 1970, Dettori has been racing since his early teens, becoming the first teenager since Lester Piggott to ride as many as 100 winners in one season.
Since then, he has amounted to 500 group race wins, including two wins in the Derby and the legendary seven winners at the Ascot in 1996 — fondly remembered as his “Magnificent Seven”.
But sadly, the last race is imminent. In December 2022, Dettori announced that he was to retire from the saddle for good, having become one of the few jockeys to continue racing into his 50s.
This is, however, where things get interesting. Whilst Dettori has had an incredible career and seemingly nothing to prove, there are still those who doubt how well this year might go for him. Dettori has had a habit of rinsing the bookies, but it’s admittedly very hard to nail down his performances, such is the unpredictability of his character.
In 2023, therefore, he could either go out at the very top of his game or trot tiredly to an unsteady finish.
However, one thing is for sure that every one of his meetings will be a must-watch event. If you’re a fan of racing and you enjoy getting involved in daily meetings, Dettori’s are guaranteed to be entertaining, nerve-wracking, and perhaps even a little emotional.
With this in mind, what are his final meetings and which ones are the most important in terms of cementing his legacy?
The Final Meetings Of Frankie Dettori
- Guineas Festival
Dettori’s first event of this year took place at Guineas Festival at the historic Newmarket Racecourse. Of course, he got off to a fairytale start. With the weight of expectation on his shoulders, Dettori took the lead in the final furlong and won by a length and three quarters. He hasn’t cemented his legacy just yet, but he’s certainly cemented the nickname “Flying Frankie”.
- Epsom Derby Festival
Dettori’s next race takes place at the beginning of June at the Epsom Downs Racecourse. This is an absolute classic in the UK calendar, but it used to be a bit of a sore subject for Dettori, with the trophy having eluded him until 2007.
- Royal Ascot
Every racing fan will know that the Royal Ascot is one of the best racecourses to visit during the calendar year. With this one being the first since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, there’s sure to be a bit of emotion surrounding it, and there’ll be even more so if Dettori can pull away with the victory.
- Yorkshire Ebor Festival
The York Racecourse saw some of Dettori’s most successful horses, with the beloved Enable having won the race twice and Stradivarius having taken Dettori across the line three times.
- St Leger Festival
The St Leger Festival – which is going to be the third and final of the 2023 Triple Crown British Classics – has long been a successful course for Dettori. He first won back in 1995, and since then, he has had six wins in total. Sadly, the festival was cut short in 2022 due to the death of the Queen, but it’s set to come back with a bang this year and could be a great chance for Dettori to not only win but build momentum in the lead-up to his last ever race.
- Breeders’ Cup World Championships
The last race in question is the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. This is going to be Dettori’s chance to round off his career with a stunning win in the Los Angeles sunshine, and with Enable having won in 2018, there’s certainly every possibility he can do it. As ever, we’re all going to have to tune in to find out!
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.