Frankie Dettori is set for his first ride in Britain since 2023 after being signed up for the Leger Legends race at Doncaster during September’s St Leger Festival.
The 55-year-old, who finally retired from race riding in February after spells in the United States and Brazil, will return for the charity contest on Town Moor in a year when the St Leger marks its 250th running.
Racing TV reports that the Leger Legends race has moved to the Friday of the three-day festival, putting Dettori’s appearance alongside one of the most historic weeks in the British Flat calendar.
Dettori adds star pull to St Leger week
Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey Andrew Thornton, who is part of the race committee, said Dettori was the biggest name the event had attracted, with Adam Kirby, Jimmy Quinn and Tom Scudamore also set to be involved.
The booking gives Doncaster a major public-facing hook for the festival and brings Dettori back into a British weighing-room setting after his formal retirement from competitive riding.
It also sharpens the festival narrative beyond the Classic itself, adding a recognisable headline name for racegoers and casual racing fans.
For the Injured Jockeys Fund, the timing is ideal: a globally recognised rider returning for a one-off charity appearance in the same week the world’s oldest Classic celebrates a landmark anniversary.
Frankie Dettori won the St Leger six times in the past – his last Logician in 2019.
