RACING Legend Frankie Dettori powered home on 7-1 shot Absurde to win this afternoon’s big Sky Bet Ebor race at York Racecourse - making it two wins on the trot in what may well be his last ever appearance at Knavesmire.
And his win meant big celebrations for charity Sheffield Voices - which picked up £20,000 in a 'community sweepstake' as a result.
Italian jockey Dettori had already been the toast of punters after steering 9-4 favourite Kinross to victory in the preceding City of York Stakes.
He then headed straight back out onto the track for what may well be his final ride on the Knavesmire before his retirement later this year – and won again on Absurde.
Afterwards, the jockey told ITV Racing: "What can I say, I've won the Ebor on my last ride (at York) - it's mad. I thought if I win on Kinross then great but I didn't expect this one so it's double sweet."
Absurde had to be led down to the start by Dettori, causing a delay. But he was as good as gold during race itself.
The five-year-old travelled smoothly towards the front of the pack halfway up the straight - and while 5-2 favourite Sweet William and Live In The Dream both kept applied pressure, Absurde was able to see them off them off by half a length.
"In the last 100 yards I saw Rab (Havlin) coming (on Sweet William), my best mate, and I thought 'that's it I'm beat', but all credit to him (Absurde) - he showed some guts and stuck his neck out," Dettori said.
"He's a horse that needs cover and I found myself in the front three out so all I was thinking was I'd messed it up."
Today was the fourth and final day of the 2023 festival - and Dettori's victory on Absurde was very good news indeed for Sheffield Voices.
It was one of 22 shorlisted charities and good causes were each paired with one of the runners in today's Ebor handicap in a 'community sweepstake'.
Every shortlisted charity received £1,000.
But Sheffield Voices - the charity matched with Dettori's winning horse Absurde - picked up a cool £20,000.
Meanwhile Barnsley Hospice, which was matched with second-placed Sweet William, picked up £5,000, while York's own Streetangels picked up £2,000 for being matched with third-placed Live Your Dream.
York Racecourse's head of marketing and sponsorship James Brennan said the Frankie Dettori double - which came along with a trademark Dettori 'flying dismount' - had been the highlight of a brilliant festival.
"What a fantastic Sky Bet Ebor Day we've had," he said. "Frankie writes his own stories!"
Mr Brennan admitted that the train strikes - plus a forecast of bad weather today which never materialised - had seen attendance numbers down somewhat.
Buit it had been a 'glorious' day at the races, he said - topped off by so many local charities benefitting from the community sweepstake.
The full list of charities who benefited from today's race is (in alphabetical order):
- Age UK Hull & East Yorkshire
- Antibiotic Research UK
- Barnsley Hospice
- Calderdale SmartMove
- Friends of Kirkham Henry Performing Arts CIC
- Homeless Street Angels
- Kingfisher Café
- Library of Things
- Looking Back CIC
- Menfulness
- Open Country
- Poppleton Community Trust
- Proud ‘N’ Diverse
- Sheffield Voices
- Streetangels York
- Support Dogs
- Taking Baby Steps CIC
- The Clothing Bank
- The Crafty Creatives
- The Partially Sighted Society
- Working Carers Champions.co.uk
- York, Ryedale & District Multiple Sclerosis Group
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