ENGLISH TEXTS
Dettori went on to host the popular weekly sports quiz A Question of Sport, launch a pizza brand, open a chain of restaurants, appear on the celebrity version of Big Brother, star in a Netflix series … Over a 40-year career, 30 of them since that famous day at Ascot, Frankie has been an ambassador for our sport, a gateway for newcomers discovering the racecourse and betting, and a name that resonated far beyond the rails. A dynamic, entertaining, and explosive sportsman who always played the game with journalists and cameras. At times, he may have overdone it, like his extended farewell tour in 2023, which ultimately ended with a U-turn and a new start in the USA. But to his credit, he wanted to give something back to every country, every racecourse and every fan who had mattered during that extraordinary career. And sometimes we asked a lot of him too, perhaps too much. I remember one day waiting for him at York to interview him after a victory with Enable. He slipped out of the changing rooms through a side door; I ran after him and just managed to catch him:“ Frankie, please, a reaction?”“ Can’ t you all just leave me alone?”“ I’ m just trying to do my job.” So he gives in, fixes his smile, puts on a show for the camera, and then escapes towards the exit. Because if spectacle was in his nature, it also became his duty. That’ s why he chose to end his sporting career in Latin America, a continent passionate about racing, relaxed and welcoming. South Americans were proud to host the star Frankie,“ the Maradona of racing,” in Argentina, Uruguay, and finally Brazil. In return, the jockey seemed at peace, happy to accept an invitation that had been standing for many years.“ Sometimes people expect too much from me,” he told the Racing Post,“ here I don’ t feel suffocated.” I didn’ t want to miss this final chapter. Even if, for some, the Latin American tour was a step too far, especially following the announcement of his financial bankruptcy due to tax irregularities, we owed it to the man who had carried racing for decades to show up for his final performance. So I followed it closely, though from afar, via social media and local YouTube broadcasts. It couldn’ t have ended any other way. Frankie Dettori exited through the front door, under the blessing of Rio de Janeiro’ s Corcovado. On an evening full of twists and emotion, we’ ll remember that the Italian superstar jockey once again thrilled the fans with a masterful ride to win one last Group 1: the Grande Prêmio Estado do Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian 2,000 Guineas. The horse’ s name? Bet You Can! After one final leap of faith, he quips to journalists:“ I’ ve changed my mind, I’ m not stopping! … Just kidding!” The famous victory leap doesn’ t make Dettori an angel. But he was a gift from the heavens for racing, and he will be missed.
IRE
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KING OF CHANGE HAS RISEN AMONG THE ELITE
BY VICKI GIBBINS
Rarely has a young sire made an immediate impact at stud in the same manner as King Of Change. With a 13.3 % Black Type to winners strike rate, the fledgeling sire was only surpassed by Dubawi in his third crop, conceived at Micheál Orlandi’ s Starfield Stud in Ireland. It was a flying start that caught the attention of David Redvers at Tweenhills Stud in Britain, home of Kameko and Lightning Spear. A son of Farhh, King Of Change had a short-lived racing career, which saw him reach the track on six occasions. Narrowly denied in his two runs as a juvenile, King Of Change returned as a threeyear-old with a maiden victory at Nottingham and was thrown into deeper waters immediately – securing a surprise second in the 2000 Guineas( Gr. 1) behind Magna Grecia. He proved the run was no fluke when taking the Chasemore Farm Fortune Stakes( Listed) at Sandown, before winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes( Gr. 1) at Ascot on his final start. Retired to Starfield Stud, the talented stallion was an immediate success in the breeding barn. In his
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