'It's always been one race I would love to win' - Frankie Dettori extends his farewell tour to include the Melbourne Cup

Frankie Dettori will bid to land an elusive Melbourne Cup on the 30th anniversary of his first attempt after announcing he will ride at Flemington on November 7.

The jockey, who will have his final mounts in Britain on Champions Day on October 21, will ride on Lexus Melbourne Cup day, Kennedy Oaks day (November 9) and TAB Champions Stakes day (November 11) in an extension to his retirement tour.

The Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita on November 3 and 4 had been the mooted end point for Dettori's stellar riding career, but the announcement of a short stint in Australia prolongs that by at least a week.

Dettori has partnered more than 250 Group 1 winners around the world and took his tally at Royal Ascot to 81 with four winners last week, including a ninth Gold Cup success aboard Courage Mon Ami.

"I have achieved all there is to achieve in horseracing and have had a fantastic career, but the Lexus Melbourne Cup has always been one race that I would love to win," said Dettori.

"I'm looking forward to returning to Melbourne to ride at the carnival for one final time and hopefully I can finish my career with a Melbourne Cup win."

Flemington: Frankie Dettori will bid to win the Melbourne Cup for the first time on November 7Credit: Vince Caligiuri

The 52-year-old had his first Melbourne Cup ride in 1993 aboard Drum Taps and has since ridden in the race 17 times, finishing second past the post on three occasions.

He was second aboard Central Park in 1999, Max Dynamite in 2015 and Master Of Reality in 2019, although the last-named was relegated to fourth.

"Frankie Dettori is one of the best jockeys and personalities the sport has ever seen and the VRC looks forward to giving him a fitting farewell at Flemington at the Melbourne Cup Carnival," said Victoria Racing Club chief executive Steve Rosich.

"The Lexus Melbourne Cup is a race that jockeys across Australia and the world want to win, and this year will be no different. Preparations for this year's Melbourne Cup Carnival are well under way and racegoers can look forward to another week of world-class racing, hospitality and entertainment."

'We expect Frankie to end up on something fancied'

Dettori announced his plan to retire from racing in December. He then spent ten weeks riding in California and rode in Dubai and Saudi Arabia at the beginning of the year before starting his British campaign at Newmarket.

The jockey expressed his desire to go out at the highest level and has already won several big races this season, including the Dubai Turf aboard Lord North, the 2,000 Guineas on Chaldean and the Oaks at Epsom on Soul Sister.

He partnered his first Group 1 winner in 1990 aboard Markofdistinction in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and has won 23 British Classics, his first provided by Godolphin's Balanchine in the 1994 Oaks.

He is 12-1 with William Hill to win the Melbourne Cup, and the firm's spokesman Lee Phelps said: "You can be sure somebody will be plotting to send Dettori out on a high and we make him 12-1 to finally ride the winner of the Melbourne Cup.

"Race favourite Vauban, currently 8-1, looks like being ridden by Ryan Moore again after his Royal Ascot win, but there's a long time until the Melbourne Cup and we expect Frankie to end up on something fancied."

Read these next:

'It's been some journey' - Frankie Dettori reflects on his special association with Royal Ascot 

'I didn't expect it' - Royal Ascot king Frankie Dettori celebrates ninth Gold Cup win 

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