Frankie Dettori has been described as an all-time great by his peers following his shock announcement Dec. 17 that 2023 will be his last year in the saddle.
Six-time Derby-winning trainer Sir Michael Stoute believes Dettori is without equal in the weighing room, while five-time champion jockey Willie Carson put the Italian on a par with Lester Piggott.
"The public have loved him and he's been such a contributor to the sport, so we're going to miss him very much," said Stoute. "I've never seen anyone better than him and he's such a character.
"I had six seconds in the St. Leger and then he rode Conduit in it for me. He came into the paddock and rattled off all the names of the riders who hadn't won the race for us and then went out and won it.
"We've had a lot of big-race success with Lanfranco—two Breeders' Cup, a Japan Cup, and the Leger. He's a great talent, a wonderful entertainer and we'll miss him greatly."
As well as Conduit's Leger victory in 2008, Stoute provided Dettori with the last winner of his Magnificent Seven in 1996 courtesy of Fujiyama Crest and remembers the then 25-year-old's bullishness before he went out to ride.
Stoute said: "He came into the ring and said, 'Well, if this doesn't win it'll be the trainer's fault because I'm red hot!'"
Willie Carson has the rare distinction of having ridden with both Dettori and his father Gianfranco and rates Dettori junior as one of the finest riders of any generation.
Carson said: "I was good friends with his father and used to bring parcels back from his dad in Italy to Frankie when he was a kid. He's always been talented and has always had that natural way of doing it. I'm a Piggott man and I put Dettori on a par with Piggott, who was a genius.
"He's done a hell of a lot for racing and we've got to be grateful for his performance. I'll be looking forward to Champions Day at Ascot and let's hope he gets a good send-off. I don't think he'll ride seven winners, though!"
Trainer Simon Crisford was Godolphin racing manager during Dettori's long and successful stint as first rider to Sheikh Mohammed's racing operation and described his friend as a "great man".
"What he's done for horseracing is something very special indeed," said Crisford. "He's been the most magnificent jockey, not only on the racetrack but off it as well. He's been the face of British racing for several decades now and only he knows when the right time is to stop and he's made that decision for the end of next year. I suspect it'll put a lot of fire in his belly and we're going to see him riding as well next year as he did when he first started.
"We shared some fantastic moments together at Godolphin, including his Magnificent Seven, when we had four winners including Mark of Esteem. What a wonderful guy and an unbelievably fantastic jockey that we've all been lucky enough to witness in our lifetime."
Bookmakers Paddy Power make Dettori a 12-1 chance to win Strictly Come Dancing in one of the next three years and weighing-room colleague Martin Dwyer expects to see the 52-year-old in his dancing shoes soon.
"He's a genuine person, but he's emotional and I do worry for him how he's going to fill the void when he stops riding because he thrives on it and feeds on the crowds getting behind him—he loves it," said Dwyer.
"I don't know how he's going to replace that but personally I think he's made for show business when he stops. I promise you now, we'll see him wearing sequins by the end of 2023 and I can't wait to take the piss out of him either because he might have rhythm on a horse but he hasn't on a dancefloor!
"I think he'll enjoy doing those things because they'll challenge him and maybe when he stops riding he'll still be able to advertise racing in other ways. He was one of the greatest of all time—there's no doubt about that."
Senior rider Jamie Spencer joked that Dettori's impending retirement will see himself move a seat closer to the weighing room exit but paid a heartfelt tribute to his good friend.
"Nothing lasts forever but he always seemed to have a bit of Peter Pan to him and you never expected this day was going to come," said Spencer. "He's given so much to the sport. I've known him for the guts of a quarter of a century and always got on very well with him. I've seen every facet of him and I wish him all the best."
