There will be more, perhaps many more, days like this one as Frankie Dettori’s farewell tour makes its way around the biggest races in Britain, Europe and beyond, and more opportunities for the only jockey whose first name is enough to reflect on an astonishing career. But it was still clearly a special moment for the adopted son of Newmarket on Saturday as he celebrated a fourth success in the 2,000 Guineas, on Chaldean, on his final start in the season’s first Classic.
Newmarket has been Dettori’s home since he arrived from Italy in the mid-1980s as a 14-year-old stable lad and apprentice jockey.
Within a few years he was the champion apprentice and the first teenager since Lester Piggott to ride 100 winners in a season. The town’s two tracks have been among his happiest hunting grounds for more than three decades.
“It’s so surreal,” Dettori said. “I was in a fight with Oisin [Murphy, on Hi Royal] and once I got rid of him, I thought, I’m sure something’s going to come and I saw plenty of daylight.
“I can’t believe it’s happened, my last Guineas and to win it in front of my home crowd. Amazing.
“Winning Classics is difficult. It’s my last season and to cap it off with a Classic is beyond my wildest dreams. Let me savour the moment, my emotions are all over the place. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or enjoy it, I’m so messed up at the moment.”
Chaldean’s success was, by Classic standards, as straightforward as they come after Dettori got Andrew Balding’s colt smartly away from the stalls and settled close behind the early leader, Hi Royal.
Auguste Rodin, the 13-8 favourite, was three lengths behind him in the early stages and appeared to be bumped after about a furlong, before briefly moving towards the head of the field with a quarter of a mile to run.
Hi Royal, a 125-1 outsider, was still just about in front but Dettori eased past him on Chaldean and set off for home, probably in the expectation that Auguste Rodin or another of his rivals would be in hot pursuit.
There was no late rattle from the favourite or anyone else, however, and while Hi Royal drifted sharply left across the course he still managed to hold on for an unlikely second place. Royal Scotsman, who was just behind Chaldean in the Dewhurst Stakes last October, confirmed that form with a fast-finishing third. Auguste Rodin was 12th of the 14 starters.
While Dettori and his celebrations were understandably the centre of attention this was a significant moment too for Andrew Balding, Chaldean’s trainer, who was winning the Classic for the second time in four years after Kameko’s victory in 2020.
Newmarket 1.15 Anmaat 1.50 Cemhaan (nap) 2.25 Running Lion (nb) 3.00 Life In Motion 3.40 Tahiyra 4.15 Mashadi 4.50 Gulmarg 5.25 Lion Of War
Hamilton Park 1.30 Gustav Graves 2.05 Postileo 2.35 Tajalla 3.10 Where’s Jeff 3.50 Leap Year Lad 4.23 Bashful 4.58 Two Summers
Salisbury 1.35 Diamond Cottage 2.10 Mabre 2.40 Whimsy 3.20 Juniper Berries 3.55 Troon 4.30 Prenup 5.05 Ibrahimovic 5.35 Eyetrap
“I was a bit worried about the mile in this ground, but he’s just done a wonderful job, Frankie,” Balding said. “What can’t you say about Frankie? Since I’ve been involved in the sport he’s been an omnipresent superstar and what a fitting way to ride his last 2,000 Guineas.
Worcester 1.15 Pottlerath 1.45 Give Me A Moment 2.15 Solstice Saint 2.45 Idealdes Villerets 3.15 Komedy Kicks 3.50 Czech Her Out 4.20 Everyonesgame 4.50 Samtara
Ayr 1.55 Torvar 2.25 Freedom Flyer 2.55 Zahee (nap) 3.30 Abu Royal 4.05 Little Muddy 4.35 Rock Of England 5.10 Uberrima Fides
Southwell 2.05 Apache Star 2.35 Yorkshire Terrier 3.05 Pittsburg 3.40 Seal Of Solomon 4.15 Marksman Queen 4.45 Ticket To Alaska 5.20 Kath’s Toyboy
Windsor 4.40 Destiny’s Spirit 5.15 Revenue 5.45 Villazon 6.15 Nothing To Sea 6.45 Hy Brasil 7.15 Bang On The Bell 7.50 Dubai Souq (nb) 8.25 Racing Demon
Newcastle 5.35 Book Of Tales 6.05 Calcutta Dream 6.35 Coppice 7.05 Odds Socks Havana 7.40 Another Angel 8.10 Sidney’s Son 8.45 Hilary’s Boy
“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long while, it’s a mixture of relief and elation. It will probably sink in in a bit, it’s a big deal.”
Dettori was a few strides away from a perfect double, as he had earlier steered the royal colours to within a head of a victory on Coronation day aboard the King and Queen Consort’s Saga in a nine-furlong handicap.
Saga has been a late scratch from races in the past due to unsuitably soft ground but he had no issues with the surface and was still going well as Dettori struggled to find running room a couple of furlongs from home.
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He made rapid strides once he finally found a gap, however, and was in front of King Of Conquest, the winner, three strides after the line, leaving his rider to reflect on what might have been.
“He ran a super race but I couldn’t go when I wanted to,” Dettori said. “William [Buick, on King Of Conquest] just got a couple of lengths on me.”
