Fabulous Frankie begins farewell tour with Guineas glory

‘I thought I had a chance, but when I crossed that line my emotions were all over the place.’

No one does Hollywood scripts quite like Frankie Dettori, but even by his standards winning aboard Chaldean on his final ride in the Qipco 2000 Guineas was something out of a fairytale.

It is almost five months since the 52-year-old announced that 2023 would be the year he will bring the curtain down on the most glittering of riding careers that has spanned nearly four decades.

Dettori has won just about every big race going in every corner of the globe during that time, but Newmarket has for so long been the place he calls home, so if this is to be his final Classic success, it was a fitting place to do it.

“I’m not dreaming am I? I’m feeling everything,” he said afterwards.

“It is just so surreal. I feel like I’m dreaming. It is a bit dark, like your dreams are. Emotionally, it is my last one and to win it is amazing. Now it is sinking in and the tears are coming.”

As the winner of last season’s Dewhurst Stakes, the Andrew Balding-trained Chaldean had an obvious chance of giving the popular Italian a fourth 2000 Guineas success.

Admittedly his season got off to an inauspicious start, with Dettori unceremoniously dumped on the Newbury turf not long after the gates opened in the Greenham Stakes a fortnight ago, but as he so often has over the years, Dettori got it right on the day that mattered most.

Frankie Dettori and Chaldean return to the Newmarket winner's enclosure
Frankie Dettori and Chaldean return to the Newmarket winner’s enclosure (Nigel French/PA)

He added: “After what happened at Newbury I thought ‘at least stay on this time’!

“Andrew always had faith in the horse and he’s done nothing wrong. He doesn’t overdo himself in the morning and the rain didn’t bother me. The only thing I was bothered about was that perhaps I didn’t have anything to race with.”

Never too far off the pace, Chaldean made light of the testing conditions and once he had seen off the sustained challenge of 125-1 shot Hi Royal, it was clear Dettori’s mount had the race in safe keeping.

The grey Suffolk skies ensured most in attendance got a good soaking, but that did not stop the majority hotfooting it to the winner’s enclosure to give the rider a deserved rapturous reception, after which he treated them to his trademark flying dismount.

Dettori might have been there, done it and got the t-shirt, but he was left fighting back the tears in the immediate aftermath.

He said: “Let me savour the moment. My emotions are all over the place. I don’t know whether I want to cry or laugh.

“I thought I had a chance, but when I crossed that line my emotions were all over the place.

“I’m happy and I want to cry. My son is here and my wife is watching at home. Of course it’s my last one and winning it makes it sweeter.

“I couldn’t have written a better story myself. It’s very special and I’m looking forward to watching it again and reliving the moment.”

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