If Frankie Dettori is indeed reconsidering his decision to retire at the end of the year, as some reports have suggested this past week, he spent his Saturday afternoon at York racecourse doing a very convincing impression of someone who is not having second thoughts at all. Dettori picked up a retirement presentation from the York executive, then rode a winner and performed the near-obligatory flying dismount after a parade in front of the stands to mark what he expected to be his last success on the Knavesmire – “because I’m drawn in 24 in the Ebor”.
Then he went out and won the Ebor, too, on Absurde, coming home in front from a wide draw for the second year running. And as he had on Wednesday, after an equally masterful performance on Mostahdaf in the International Stakes, Dettori suggested – with a wide grin on his face – that a substantial retainer might yet change his mind. “If an offer that’s big enough comes, I might consider it,” he said. “But it’s got to be big.”
