Having first stated his intention to retire in 2023, Frankie Dettori’s final season in Britain turned into a victory lap encompassing Classic victories and a glorious last hurrah in the Champion Stakes.
Ultimately deciding that he wasn’t quite ready to call it a day after all, Frankie instead relocated to the USA in 2024. Dettori’s US adventure followed a similar pattern to his career in Britain – big wins in the biggest races, and he was a natural with the fans and media. However, after a career spanning five decades, it appears that enough really is enough for the rider who turns 55 on 15th December.
Announcing his retirement ahead of the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Meeting, Frankie suggested he would end his glittering career with a ride in the Chilean Derby at Valparaiso in February 2026. Never one to stick to the script, Dettori has provided a late twist in the tale. While retirement still beckons for the evergreen Italian, a trip to Chile no longer features on the itinerary. Instead, Frankie will embark on a three-leg South American tour.
December in Argentina
Frankie’s South American jaunt begins in Buenos Aires on Saturday, 13th December. San Isidro sets the stage for a top-class card featuring four Grade 1 contests. The Copa de Plata, Joaquin S de Anchorena, and Felix de Alzaga Unzue are fine prizes to win in their own right, but are cast in the shadow of the Gran Premier Carlos Pellegrini.
First run in 1887 and offering £261,000 in prize money, this 1m4f contest is viewed as the South American equivalent of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Dettori takes the ride aboard El Pulque for Conrado A. Linares in the feature event, but he isn’t the only international superstar in town for the big race. Advertising the high profile of the event, “Magic Man” Joao Moreira is jetting in to ride Brazilian hope Obataye.
Frankie’s presence will provide a boost to what is already one of the best-attended fixtures of the Argentinian racing year. Looking ahead to the event, San Isidro spokesman Pablo Carrizo stated:
“In Argentina, many people don’t know much about international horse racing, but everyone knows Frankie and the worldwide fame that accompanies him.”
January in Uruguay
Having basked in the adulation of the Argentinian racing fans, Frankie makes the 240km trip across the Rio De La Plata to the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo. The date of 6th January is in the diary as Dettori bids for glory in the Grade 1 Gran Premio Internacional Jose Pedro Ramirez.
Making its debut two years after the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini in 1889, the highlight of the Uruguayan season takes place over the same 1m4f trip as its Argentinian counterpart. News of Frankie’s mount is eagerly awaited, both by Uruguayan racing fans and those tracking his final rides from around the world.
The Curtain Comes Down in Brazil
With Chile off the menu, it appears that Brazil will be Frankie’s final port of call. Leading Argentine racing publication Turf Diario states that Dettori will arrive at Gavea Racecourse in Rio de Janeiro in early February, with a special celebration arranged in his honour.
If the reports are true, Dettori could scarcely have selected a more spectacular setting for his curtain call. Modelled on the old Longchamp layout, Gavea Racecourse is the biggest and best in Brazil and one of the most beautiful tracks in the world. The vast site provides wonderful views of Guanabara Bay, while the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue looks on from the peak of the Corcovado mountain. Details of the racing and Dettori’s potential mounts are yet to be released, but the Rio De Janeiro racing scene can expect a little more attention than usual in February 2026.
New Nations for the Dettori CV
With significant wins across Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East, Dettori is no stranger to international success. However, he has yet to conquer South America.
Given the Magnificent Seven miracle, six Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe wins, 23 British Classics, and countless other achievements, it would be no surprise to see the most iconic jockey of the modern era end his season with yet another high.
Looking ahead to the final furlong of a truly legendary career, Dettori stated:
“I’m excited to be going there, to give the public my very best, and to thank them for all the love they’ve shown me over the years.”