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| Staff Writer |
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In what was his last start on British soil, Frankie Dettori finished his career with a bang as he rode King Of Steel to victory in the 2000m Group One Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday. The Roger Varian-trained runner-up of the 2021 Derby had not yet won at the highest level after coming close in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes and the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes. However, Dettori's masterful riding and King Of Steel's impressive performance helped them secure the win.
The race started with My Prospero leading the field, but the heavy ground proved too much for him as he faded to seventh place. Royal Rhyme briefly took over, but Horizon Dore, trained in France by Patrice Cottier, soon overtook him. Eventually, the race was won by King Of Steel, with Via Sistina coming in second and Horizon Dore in third.
Dettori was overwhelmed with emotion after the race, saying “It's emotional really, I don't know what to say. I cannot believe it, the crowd have been sublime. I was doing my best on top and the scream that I got was just incredible, thanks to all of you. To win this race is fantastic. It was all in the script! It's unbelievable. I know don't know to feel, I don't know if it's real. It's incredible." He also thanked the crowd for their support, saying "What a feeling, the crowd! For the first race I thought the crowd were good but they took it to another level, it was honestly incredible. It's a fairytale ending to me, Ascot is my home. I'm pretty emotional to be honest, but happy tears!”
In the Balmoral Handicap, Charlie Johnston and Joe Fanning took home the win with The Gatekeeper, who more than surpassed his rivals in the mile event. Overall, it was a great day for racing and a fantastic way to end Dettori's career in Britain.
On Saturday, Trawlerman, owned by Godolphin, achieved his first-ever Group level success in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot. The Golden Horn gelding, ridden by Frankie Dettori, sat off the pace before taking over with just over 800m to go. Kyprios, ridden by Ryan Moore, caught up with Trawlerman, and it seemed like Kyprios would win. However, Trawlerman found more and managed to surge ahead and win by a neck. Sweet William came in third. This victory marked a first for the training partnership of John and Thady Gosden, and Dettori's fifth in the race.
According to trainer John Gosden, Frankie Dettori may return to Britain for Royal Ascot next summer. Although Dettori's schedule is already filled with races in California, the Breeders' Cup, the Melbourne Cup, and Hong Kong's international meeting, Gosden believes that the pathway to Ascot is clear for the Italian jockey.
Gosden and Dettori have shared many great days on the racecourse, and the trainer believes that Dettori's decision to continue racing across the Atlantic is right. They have discussed the difficulty of stopping suddenly and going "cold turkey," and the importance of athletes finding ways to transition out of competitive sports.