Sky Bet Ebor report and video replay: Frankie Dettori wins aboard Absurde
Frankie Dettori bowed out from York by winning the Sky Bet Ebor aboard Willie Mullins’ lightly-raced charge on his final ride at the iconic track.
The horse was in no mood to give his rider an armchair final ride at the Knavesmire though – or even a ride at all at one stage.
Reluctant to go to the start, Dettori had to jump down from the saddle and lead him to the starting stalls – about three furlongs to jog while pulling a horse.
He needed water (Frankie not Absurde) when reaching his destination and then bottle (Frankie not Absurde) as the gates opened and from the widest stall of all on a horse that needs cover, the pair only had Real Dream to track.
But track him they did – all the way to the three furlong pole when suddenly, they found themselves hard against the stands’ rail and in front.
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It’s a long way home from there in a Sky Bet Ebor and what a battle of attrition it became.
The well-backed 5/2 favourite Sweet William and top weight Live Your Dream (11/1) went in pursuit and from the two pole the three were in a line.
It was only well inside the distance that Absurde, a horse who was going to be played late had Plan A come off, found the momentum to regain the initiative. And then, with Dettori low in the saddle and a bumper crowd roaring him home, Europe’s richest handicap was finally in the bag.
At the line he had half-a-length in hand of Sweet William with Live Your Dream the same distance away in third. Euchen Glen, at the age of ten, ran one of the best races of his own remarkable career to finish fourth.
Dettori, who was completing a big-race double having landed the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes on Kinross, could barely believe what had happened.
“Credit to him, he showed some guts, he stuck his neck out for the last bit because I thought I was beat,” he told ITV Racing.
“He’s a horse that needs cover and I found myself in front three out so I thought, well I’ve messed that up! It's unbelievable to win on my last ride. I thought coming here today to win on Kinross would be great but I didn’t expect this one. It’s double sweet.”
Absurde gets a guaranteed place in the Melbourne Cup now and that’s the race where Dettori intends to bring the curtain down on his career full stop. So could it happen all over again?
“I said to Willie 'listen I’m going Down Under for my last rides so please consider me' and he said he will but only time will tell!” the jockey beamed.
Mullins added: “I thought he was beaten half-a-furlong down, I only watched it on the big screen so didn’t see it properly, but I don’t know where Frankie got the energy to get up in the last 100 yards. He pulled it out of the fire. I thought he was brilliant on him.
“He’s a monkey and always is at home but hasn’t been like that for a while and the minute it happened I said ‘oh no, it’s what he does if you let him get away with it’. He'd been very good at home lately so I didn’t expect him to do it today but it is in him.
“I’ll have a word Margaret and Andrew Heffernan who own the horse, they’re away with family today and couldn’t be here. But I’ll speak to them and see if they’re interested in going down to Australia and I’m sure they’d love to.
“I think the horse will pass the tests to be able to run in it no problem – unless they do a brain scan after his antics going to the start! He’s a good sound horse and we’d look forward to going to Melbourne.
“But today is about Frankie, a remarkable jockey and I thought he was brilliant on Absurde.”
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