Frankie Dettori puts off retirement after agreeing to ride in Hong Kong

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Frankie Dettori will ride Kinross in Hong Kong in December (Image: Getty)
Frankie Dettori will ride Kinross in Hong Kong in December (Image: Getty)

Frankie Dettori has put off his retirement date again and will continue riding into December.

The superstar jockey announced last year that 2023 would be his final year in the saddle, setting Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot on October 21 as the date of his final appearance in Britain.

It was expected he would stop riding for good after the Breeders’ Cup in California on November 3 and 4.

Last month he committed to making an appearance in Australia where he could have the chance to win one of the few international races to elude him, the Melbourne Cup on November 7.

On Tuesday, after riding Kinross to victory in the Group 2 Lennox Stakes, he revealed he would carry on until December 10 to ride at the Hong Kong International race meeting.

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Kinross, trained by Ralph Beckett, is owned by Hong Kong-based owner Marc Chan, a friend of the jockey whose horses he regularly rides.

The seven-year-old took his earnings past £1.3 million with the neck defeat of Isaac Shelby in the 7f race.

“He’s my ATM machine,” he said. “He makes a lot of money every year. I am a good friend of Marc’s.

“Marc wants to run in the Mile in Hong Kong in December so I promised him I would carry on a bit longer until then.”

The 53-year-old rode his first winner at Goodwood and told ITV Racing, “36 years ago this is where it all started.

“I had my first winner here as a 16-year-old apprentice. I am 52 now, I’ve had plenty of good days here, including this one.”

Jon Lees

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