In December, Dettori confirmed that this would be his final season of racing before retirement. “It’s something that I’ve been thinking about for a while,” he told ITV. “This is going to be my finale next year.
“I’m riding Boxing Day in Santa Anita and planning to spend about 10 weeks in California and then I’ll make my way back, with Dubai and Saudi in between, to start the season in Newmarket. I’ll be riding right through and it’ll be my last Guineas, my last Derby, my last Royal Ascot and so on. Then I’ll have the final farewell at the Breeders’ Cup.
“It is a very difficult decision because my heart wants to carry on riding, but I have had to use my brain and I’ve just turned 52 and next year I’ll be 53. I want to be competitive enough to do my owners and my horses justice next year and I think I’m still in that bracket of being good. It was difficult, but it is the right time.”
