Frankie Dettori has put plans to retire later this year on hold to continue his racing career in the United States.
The 52-year-old jockey, who has ridden more than 3,300 winners, will move to California later this year, and will also race in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. “I’ve still got the fire inside me that I want to do it a little bit more,” he told BBC Breakfast.
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“I’m still looking forward to saying my last goodbyes at Ascot on Champions Day [on 21 October] but then we will move to southern California just before Christmas for our new future,” Dettori told the Racing Post.
“It’s all about being a freelance in the States but I hope to be riding for everyone, just like I did when I went out there at the end of last year,” he added. “It could be three months. It could be three years. I don’t know. It depends how it goes.”
The three-time champion jockey had announced last December that this season would be his last in the saddle. Upcoming rides in Australia and Hong Kong were expected to be his final ones after Ascot, but his form this season prompted a rethink. Dettori has won the 2,000 Guineas, the Oaks and the Ebor at York this year.
“I started thinking about this after York,” Dettori added. “When I set out my stall to retire, I didn’t expect to have one of my best years for a long time – probably the best I’ve had since 2019. As a result of the success I’ve had this year, I now feel that I’m not ready to stop yet.”
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