The last leap of the angel: Gávea surrenders to the legend of Frankie Dettori

The formidable Italian jockey will end his South American tour this Sunday under the Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro

Lanfranco Dettori and the statue of Jorge Ricardo in Gávea / JCB / SYLVIO RONDINELLI

By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special Envoy for Turf Diario to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (From a special envoy).- Next Sunday will not be just another day for South Americanand world horse racing. The Hipódromo da Gávea, guarded by the Christ the Redeemer, will be the setting for the final chapter of a tour that had the air of a religious procession. Lanfranco Dettori, the man who turned the art of riding horses into a global spectacle, will hang up the whip on Brazilian soil after his time in Argentina and Uruguay, closing a circle of talent, charisma, and that eternal smile that changed the sport forever.

It is no exaggeration to say that turf is divided into a "before" and "after" Lanfranco Dettori. The Italian, who knew how to dominate Ascot as if it were his own backyard and who made the Flying Dismount a registered trademark of success, arrives at his last stop with the lasting relevance of the chosen ones. His presence in the Cidade Maravilhosais not just a sporting event; it is an act of justice for a fan base that idolizes him and that will now have the opportunity to see him in action for the last time in this part of the world.

In the buildup, the Salón de las Rosas witnessed his magnetism. Friendly and extremely charismatic, the jockey spoke with Juliana Dias, from the Jockey Club Brasileiro, making it clear that his arrival in this country is not a simple commercial commitment. He looked animated, with a sparkle in his eyes; he knows he is about to write a golden page—the last one. Frankie is not coming for a stroll; he is coming to compete, to feel the rigor of the race and the heat of the stands which, it is assumed, will be packed.

His schedule at the Jockey Club Brasileiro reflects his professionalism: this Saturday he plans to gallop some horses to scout the terrain and, in a gesture that exalts his figure, he will visit the facilities of the Escola de Profissionais do Turfe. There, the apprentices will be able to see up close the mirror in which everyone looks at themselves, the man who proved that to be a giant one needs not only technique but also heart and a steel mentality.

Dettori's farewell will be grand, as it could not be any other way. The master signed commitments for 4 races, highlighting his participation in the start of both Triple Crowns.

In the Grande Prêmio Estado do Rio de Janeiro (G1), Dettori will mount Bet You Can (Can the Man), from Haras Estrela Nova, seeking to lead to victory a colt that will have the historical privilege of being ridden by the legend after his second-place finish in the prep race.

In the Grande Prêmio Henrique Possolo (G1), the appointment will be with Tutifruti (Can the Man), belonging to Stud Belas, the heroine who last season won the Grande Premio Adayr Eyras de Araújo (G3). In the ninth race, the Italian will get on Lucky Time (Emcee), and the last mount of his formidable career will be with Nidavellir(Courtier), a name that will remain in the books forever.

Watching Frankie in the starting gates of Gávea will be an exercise in nostalgia and celebration. A revolutionary says goodbye—the jockey who took horse racing out of the specialized pages to bring it into popular culture. The one who, on September 28, 1996, won all 7 races of a meeting at Ascot, ruining the betting houses and earning immortality.

Dettori's South American tour has been a gift to the region. His passing left indelible memories, but it will be the Rioturf that keeps the last echo of his stirrups. When Sunday afternoon falls over the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas and Frankie crosses the wire for the last time, world turf will feel a void difficult to fill. An artist, a showman, a fierce competitor who never lost his elegance, is retiring. The Domingo No Jockey will be, above all things, a mass of gratitude.

Because there are many jockeys, but there was only one Dettori. And fate wanted his last great dance to be under the Brazilian sun, reminding us that talent has no nationality and that glory, like his famous leap upon dismounting, always seems to defy the laws of gravity.