HAVE you heard? Frankie Dettori is retiring.
OK, OK, so readers who follow racing have known for nearly a year that the world’s most famous jockey is hanging up his whip at the end of the year.
PARacing will miss Dettori when he retires – but it’s likely he’ll be back on our screens one way or another[/caption]
And he has his last race in Britain on October 21 at Ascot.
But that doesn’t mean he’s riding off into the sunset for good.
Here, Sun Racing looks at five things Dettori could get up to in retirement.
Brave the I’m A Celeb jungle
Rumours were circulating earlier this year that Dettori was being lined up for a slot in the hit ITV show.
And now it seems the 52-year-old is in advanced talks with bosses about appearing.
Dettori, a larger-than-life character, is perhaps the only jockey to transcend racing and would be a big hit with viewers.
He could take part in bushtucker trials alongside the likes of Olivia Attwood, who said she’s up for returning after being forced out early last year.
New TV career
Has any sports star at the top of their field ever looked so suited to TV as Dettori?
A natural showman who’s never afraid to voice an opinion, broadcasters such as ITV Racing and Sky would surely be keen as mustard to snap him up.
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His insight into what it takes to win at the likes of Ascot and Goodwood would be invaluable.
And crucially he knows how to deliver a one-liner and make racing accessible to the masses.
What’s more, Dettori could probably charge whatever he likes and companies would pay it.
It seems a banker.
Travel the world with his wife
For man who this year alone has ridden winners in the US, England, Sweden, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Hungary and who still has big ones to come in Australia, Hong Kong and possibly Japan, you’d think he’d seen enough of the world.
But the gruelling nature of being a jockey means much of the time is spent sweating in the gym and at the racecourse.
Dettori says one thing he wants to do when he retires is travel the world with loyal wife Catherine.
Keep an eye out for his Trip Advisor reviews.
Watch his beloved Arsenal
Luca Cumani recently said how getting busted for cocaine after watching the Gunners led to the biggest ‘stroke of luck’ in Dettori’s career.
It meant he turned down a move to Hong Kong, stayed in Britain and became a superstar.
Nowadays Dettori hangs out in the boxes with the likes of Piers Morgan.
Dettori and Piers Morgan watch Arsenal together along with rugby legend Francois Pienaar
Might Mikel Arteta invite him to talk to the squad about what it takes to win?
He could pick worse motivational speakers…
And with more time on his hands he’d also be free to watch every game home and away all over Europe.
Keep racing
After all this, he couldn’t, could he?
Could the lure of just riding the biggest horses in the biggest races for the biggest money prove too strong for Dettori to turn down?
He has recently suggested he would be willing to consider the right sort of offer, if it came in.
But it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds.
Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing operation is without a jockey after cutting ties with Kevin Stott.
Might they be persuaded to offer Dettori a pay-as-you-ride deal where they bring him back for the Group contests?
It’s not as mad as it sounds – but as Dettori says, the money would have to be ‘stupid’.
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