Frankie Dettori performed his famous flying dismount after riding a winner at Maronas racecourse in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Tuesday as his farewell tour continued.
The 55-year-old jockey had four rides on the 20-race card. He finished eighth on his first two mounts and was second last in his final race, but scored in race seven over seven furlongs when leading all the way on the 13-8 favourite Soy Poronguero.
A jubilant Dettori was met by a large group of connections who applauded in the winners’ enclosure. The victory follows a winner he rode at San Isidro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in December.
Dettori announced in November that he would retire from race riding in the United States after the Breeders’ Cup, concluding his career with a few rides in South America, something he said he had always wanted to do. He described it as an honour to compete at the highest level for over four decades.
In a 35-year career in Britain, Dettori was champion jockey three times, rode 23 British Classic winners and won six editions of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. In 1996 he rode the winners of all seven races at Ascot.
He has one more chance to thrill fans on a trip that he says “means the world to me” when he rides at Gavea racecourse in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on February 2 and 3, beneath the Christ the Redeemer statue.
