‘Am I dreaming?’ – Frankie Dettori bags 2000 Guineas on well-backed Chaldean on his final ride in the race
WHOEVER wrote this script deserves a pay-rise.
Never mind a Hollywood ending, we had a blockbuster beginning to the Frankie Dettori farewell tour at Newmarket.
PAChaldean and Frankie Dettori won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket[/caption]
PALegendary jockey Dettori will retire at the end of the 2023 season[/caption]
He gave the well-backed Chaldean a brilliant ride to win the 2000 Guineas for trainer Andrew Balding, banking a 22nd British Classic in his retirement year.
The legendary Italian announced over the winter that this would be his 38th and final season in the saddle.
When the curtain comes down on his career, racing won’t just have lost a brilliant jockey, it will have lost an icon… and a good chunk of its soul.
We better enjoy him while he is still here, and the Newmarket faithful certainly showed their appreciation when he returned to the winners’ enclosure.
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Dettori looked on the verge of tears as he soaked up their cheers, and they turned the volume up a few notches when he performed his trademark flying dismount.
The horse that he jumped off isn’t bad, either.
That is now five wins from his last six starts for Chaldean, whose only blip came in the Greenham when Dettori was dumped on the turf after the horse was almost barged over coming out of the stalls.
The three-year-old is by Frankel and there was definitely a bit of his dad in this performance as he powered through the mud to win comfortably by a length and a half from 125-1 shot Hi Royal.
But for once the story wasn’t so much about the horse, it was about the man.
Dettori said: “It’s pretty unreal. Am I dreaming?
“I was in a bit of a fight with the second horse and when I got rid of him I was sure something was going to come and do me.
“I can’t believe it has happened. It’s my last Guineas, it’s my home crowd, so to come here and win it is amazing.
“It’s not easy to win Classics so to win one in my final year is beyond my wildest dreams.
“After what happened at Newbury I was just thinking ‘please God just stay on board this time’.
“My emotions are all over the place. I don’t know whether to cry or laugh at the minute, but I’m trying to soak it all in.”
No doubt it was a dream day for Dettori, but he was only a matter of inches away from crowning it with a Royal winner on Coronation day.
He delivered The King’s runner Saga with a strong late run earlier on the card but he couldn’t quite overhaul the winner… King Of Conquest.
Dettori said: “The horse ran great and I’m gutted I didn’t get there, I would have in a few more strides.
“I hope it gave The King a thrill at least!”
You can bet your bottom dollar it did, Frankie, just like you’ve been thrilling all of us for so long.
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