Frankie Dettori has decided against retiring at the end of the year to continue racing in the United States.
The 52-year-old Italian, who has ridden more than 3,300 winners in an incredible career, makes his last appearance in this country at Saturday’s Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot, which brings the curtain down on another wonderful Flat season.
He then jets to Australia for the Melbourne Cup on Wednesday, November 2 and was expected to climb into the saddle for a final time in Hong Kong.
Instead, Dettori has taken a leaf out of Elton John’s book and decided to embark on what appears to be a never-ending farewell tour by chasing more victories in California in 2024 and possibly beyond.
He will be based at Santa Anita, a few furlongs north of Los Angeles, and one of his desires is to ride the winner of the Kentucky Derby in May.
But before Frankie, who became a sporting legend after winning all seven races on the card at a meeting at Ascot in 1996 at odds of 25,000/1, grabs further headlines on the American dirt tracks, another top rider from the British circuit is bidding to make waves on the other side of the pond.
Leading British jockey Hollie Doyle intends to enter the history books at Santa Anita by becoming the first European female rider to win a race at the Breeders’ Cup.
Doyle, who is an eight-time Group One winning jockey, will ride the Victorious Racing-owned Bradsell in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and her aim is to join Julie Krone, triumphant in the 2003 Juvenile Fillies, and Rosie Napravnik – first past the post in the 2012 Juvenile – as the only female jockeys to win at the prestigious festival.
More than £25.5million in prize money is up for grabs when the racing extravaganza is staged on Friday and Saturday, November 3 and 4 and Doyle, fourth last year in the Filly and Mares’ Turf on Nashwa, hopes to hit the jackpot in the Turf Sprint.
The Archie-Watson-trained colt secured his place in the $1million dash with victory in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot after winning the Coventry Stakes at the same meeting last year.
A poor run last time out at the Curragh can be excused because of the soft ground and Bradsell and Doyle are worth an ante-post flutter to create in the Turf Sprint at Betfair’s 9/1.
• Sri Lanka are big at 16/5 with Paddy Power to bounce back from a six-wicket Cricket World Cup defeat to Pakistan last time out by beating Australia in Lucknow. Sri Lanka are in form with the bat after posting 344 for nine in that reversal while the Baggy Greens could only muster 177 in a 134-run loss to South Africa.
• Elite running back Austin Ekeler returns for the Los Angeles Chargers after missing four games through injury and can lead the Bolts to victory over the Dallas Cowboys in their Monday Night Football showdown at 11/10 with Coral, Ladbrokes and many other firms. Ekeler is also worth an interest at 9/2 with bet365 to score the first touchdown.
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