THAT’S HAUL FOLKS!

Hollywood ending as Frankie signs off with Champion success

HOLLYWOOD-BOUND Frankie Dettori pulled off the blockbuster finale his fans flocked to see with a brilliant last-to-first ride aboard King Of Steel in the Qipco British Champion Stakes.

Last December, the Italian stunned the racing world by announcing he would retire at the end of 2023 but performed a U-turn earlier this month with the revelation he would continue his storied career in America next year.

The 52-year-old’s appearance at Ascot on the richest day’s racing in Britain was his final chance to shine in front of his adopted home crowd.

And he seized it with both hands, capping a double – he began the afternoon by driving Trawlerman to success in the Group 2 British Champions Long Distance Cup – with a victory dash on Derby runner-up King Of Steel.

Sitting last of the eight runners on the Roger Varian-saddled 3-1 market leader – rain-softened ground caused the defection of morning market leader Mostahdaf – Dettori urged his mount forward with half a mile of the 10-furlong Group 1 remaining.

Roared on by a 30,369 throng, King Of Steel found his stride to collar Via Sistina 110 yards from the finish to score by threequarters of a length. “The crowd got the horse over the line,” said a smiling Dettori, who performed his final flying dismount to a racegoer reworking of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes.

“I’ve been doing Royal Ascot 30 years and I’ve never heard an atmosphere like it – it was off the Wembley Stadium chart.

“That was special after the race – ‘Oh, Frankie Dettori!’

“I wanted to finish at the top, and I can’t get any ‘topper’ than this. Surreal – ‘This can’t be right. This is not real life. Perhaps I’m dreaming.’

“But then I realised it did happen, and I just felt numb.”

Ascot has been the scene of numerous career landmarks during Dettori’s 37 seasons riding in Britain, including a first Group 1 aboard Markofdistinction in the 1990 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the ‘Magnificent Seven’ gained odds of 25,095-1 six years later.

After The Queen had unveiled a statue of the world’s most famous jockey on horseback – there is already a bronze of his flying dismount by the course entrance – Dettori began his final afternoon with an unlikely triumph in the two-mile Long Distance Cup.

Trawlerman, trained by boss John Gosden and bearing the royal blue silks of 18-year former employer Godolphin, looked a beaten horse when passed by 11-10 favourite Kyprios and Ryan Moore at the top of the home

straight, but the 9-1 shot fought back to win by a neck.

As he prepared to leave his spiritual home – the bookies go just 1-8 about a return at Royal Ascot next June – Dettori, with a tally of 3,367 domestic victories, including 281 at Group 1 level, reflected: “I’m very proud of what I’ve done – my career, and this year – it’s been phenomenal.

“Ascot has been everything to me – my first Group 1 winner when I was 19 – it’s where it all started and concludes with nine Gold Cups and 81 winners at Royal Ascot.

“My head is full of emotions. Crazy. Nuts. Unbelievable. Incredible. Hollywood stuff. The stuff of dreams.

“I thought I would cry. But I’m too happy to cry.”