Frankie Dettori wins and vows to ride on despite 'sabbatical' from John Gosden
- Published
Gosden and Dettori have clocked up many big-race wins with the likes of Golden Horn, Enable and Stradivarius
Frankie Dettori rode a winner and vowed to carry on until at least the end of next season after "taking a sabbatical" from his link with trainer John Gosden.
The pair, one of racing's greatest partnerships, are splitting after they met on Friday at the Newmarket base of Gosden, who trains alongside son Thady.
Dettori, 51, was criticised by John Gosden for his rides on Stradivarius and Saga at Royal Ascot last week.
"I'm intending to ride all of this year and definitely next year," he said.
The Italian jockey, who won aboard Lezoo with his only ride at Newmarket on Saturday, said it was a "new start" and that he is likely to be competing in more international races.
"I'm riding in Istanbul on Sunday and I'll be at the German Derby next week," he told Racing TV.
"I've got a couple of weekends in Belmont and Saratoga, so I'm quite busy the next month. So if you don't see me ride domestically it's not because I gave up, it's because I'm riding abroad."
Dettori was replaced on two runners for the Gosdens at Newmarket on Saturday, fuelling speculation they might split before Friday night's confirmation by John Gosden,
"Following speculation in the press, Frankie and I have amicably decided to take a sabbatical from the trainer/jockey relationship but we remain the closest of friends and colleagues," said Gosden in a statement.
The trainer says he does not intend to appoint a new stable jockey.
"Frankie has been - and always will be - one of the family here so I wanted to meet face to face after he returned from his post-Ascot holiday," added Gosden.
"Frankie is the most superb international jockey and, together, we have achieved significant successes at various times over the last three decades with a number of horses including, most recently, Golden Horn, Enable, Palace Pier, Too Darn Hot and Stradivarius."
Dettori after winning on Lezoo at Newmarket
Gosden helped get Dettori's career back on track following his split with Godolphin 10 years ago.
But Dettori's name did not appear alongside Sunray Major and Stowell on Saturday's card, with the former partnered by James Doyle in the Criterion Stakes and Robert Havlin on the latter in the Fred Archer Stakes.
He did partner Lezoo, a 16-5 chance trained by Ralph Beckett, to victory in the Maureen Brittain Empress Fillies' Stakes.
A slightly subdued Dettori was given a warm reception and treated racegoers to his trademark flying dismount.
Gosden was unhappy with Dettori after finishing third on Stradivarius, who was seeking a record-equalling fourth Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
"Our hero overcomplicated matters," he said, and also suggested the jockey should have won the Britannia Handicap on runner-up Saga, owned by the Queen.
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