04 December 2023 , 15:20
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Frankie Dettori has waved goodbye to the I'm A Celebrity jungle, just over a month after his perfect farewell to his racing career.
The jockey became the first person to leave this year's edition of the ITV show on Sunday night after two weeks in Australia. His appearance on the programme came after he brought an end to his glittering racing career in England.
In a career spanning over 35 years, he was the British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and rode 287 winners of Group 1 races. But in October, the 52-year-old opted to curtail his time in England, instead moving out to California.
The Italian made the showpiece Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot his last day in the saddle. In total, he had five rides, winning both his first and last races of the day.
His famous farewell came at the same track where he rode all seven winners to complete what became known as ‘Frankie’s Magnificent Seven’ in 1996. The first win of his final day in British racing came aboard Trawlerman in the Long Distance Cup.
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He followed that up with a stunning crowning win on King Of Steal in the Champions Stakes. Dettori wowed the 30,000-strong crowd to lead his horse from last to first to clinch victory in the £1.3million race.
Frankie Dettori bid farewell to British racing in October (AFP via Getty Images)His wins were the perfect way for the legendary jockey to bid farewell to the sport in Britain. It delighted fans as well, who serenaded him with chants of 'Oh, Frankie Dettori', leaving the Italian emotional.
“It’s very hard to explain. I had the same surreal moment when I had my first Group 1 on Markofesteem when everything went dark," Dettori said after his final race in Britain
“I know it’s not dark, but I had that euphoric feeling when you think this can’t be right, this is not real life, it’s perhaps some dream. But then I realised that it did happen and I felt numb really.
"I thought I would cry but I’m too happy to cry. I didn’t expect it. What a day. For the first race, the noise was mad, This was another level. Even more than Royal Ascot when I win. It was incredible. Everybody was cheering for me.
“They souped it up to be my last race so they were all up for it. I couldn’t have written it better myself. The chanting was special, ‘O, Frankie Dettori’. That’s one thing I’m going to miss. I can’t take that to America because I am fairly new over there.
“From the beginning of the season, it’s been tremendous. I wanted to finish at the top and I can’t get any more top than this. I'm very proud of what I have done in my career and this year.”