LAST UPDATE | Dec 17th 2022, 3:20 PM
FRANKIE DETTORI HAS has announced he will retire from the saddle at the end of 2023.
The Italian, 52, has enjoyed a glittering career, but on a blank day of racing in Britain and Ireland he confirmed on ITV Racing that next year will be his last.
He said: “Next year, 2023, will be my final professional year as a jockey.
“I will break the news now. It is something I have been thinking about for a while and what an appropriate day to tell the racing world that it is going to be my finale next year.”
Over the course of his 35 years in the saddle to date, Dettori has won over 3,000 races worldwide including 21 British Classics and three Champion Jockey titles.
Fellow racing legend AP McCoy led the tributes on Saturday, saying “Frankie is going out at the top”.
“He’s racing’s Lionel Messi,” McCoy said. “You can’t teach a kid to ride like Frankie Dettori.”
"2023 will be my final professional year as a jockey"@FrankieDettori will call time on his glittering career after the 2023 Flat Season#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/o52iVpgya5
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 17, 2022