'It will be like having Messi or Ronaldo play here' - Uruguayan racing ready to embrace Frankie Dettori on latest leg of farewell tour

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Frankie Dettori's farewell tour around South America moves on to Maronas racecourse in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo on Tuesday, with a bumper crowd expected to witness racing's great showman take four rides across a card comprising a whopping 20 races. 

In announcing an end to his twilight spell in the United States during Breeders' Cup week last autumn, Dettori, 55, declared his intention to finish his career with a series of guest appearances in South America, and has already fanned the flames of anticipation in Uruguay ahead of the traditional Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez, giving plenty of time to journalists at a press conference this week. 

Dettori's tour kicked off at San Isidro in Buenos Aires in November on one of Argentina's biggest racedays, the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini, and is due to reach its climax at Gavea in Rio de Janeiro next month. 

The Ramirez was first run in 1889, two years after the Pellegrini, and traditionally coincides with the January 6 Epiphany bank holiday, or 'Children's Day' as it is known in Uruguay because it is the date when children receive presents. 

El Kodigo triumphed for Argentina in the 2025 Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez, Uruguay's biggest raceCredit: Ministerio Economia y Finanzas

Staged on the dirt over a mile and a half, the race has Group 1 status and is worth 8.32 million pesos (around £158,000/€181,000). 

'Dettori has been waiting more than 20 years'

Dettori does not have a ride in the Ramirez, but as local racing personality Hector Garcia explained, his presence at Maronas is an extremely big deal to Uruguay's racing fans, as well as the wider public in Montevideo. 

"To have Dettori here is amazing because he told us that he was first invited here more than 20 years ago and, now he nears his retirement, he'll ride four horses including in the Group 3 over a mile," said Garcia, who will present news coverage from Maronas for La Tele channel's Telemundo news programme, and who also covers racing for the El Pais newspaper and on radio. 

"In that race he rides for the same owner who has Obstacle, who will be the favourite for the Ramirez. 

"His presence will definitely have an effect on people deciding to go to Maronas on Tuesday. It’s like Messi or Ronaldo coming to play football in Uruguay."

Frankie Dettori waves goodbye to North America after his ride on Argine in the Breeders' Cup Mile Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

While a 20-race card may seem extreme, Garcia said that, in turnover terms, it makes sense to put as much racing on as possible on the day when Maronas is guaranteed its biggest attendance. 

"We had a press conference with Dettori on Monday which was full of journalists – many more than we'd usually get for the Ramirez – and he gave a lot of time, answering 15 different questions," said Garcia, who will present coverage of the build-up to the race on Telemundo during both Sunday and Monday evening's main two-hour shows. 

"The press conference for the Ramirez is always the same, but having Dettori made it different.

"He'll be back at Maronas on Monday to walk the tracks – he rides one race on turf and three on dirt the following day – and while Ramirez day is always a big attraction, so is Dettori. 

"It’s normal to have 19 or 20 races on January 6 because it’s the day when you know Maronas will be full. It’s the day when sport meets culture and society at our racetrack, when the people come up from Punta del Este [beach resort city] and beat a path to Maronas. It’s our festival."

Moreira joins the party

The four biggest races on the card all feature one or more major international riding stars; Dettori is aboard the Brazilian-trained Sparco in the Group 3 Gran Premio Pedro Pineyrua, the first win-and-you're-in race of the year in the Breeders' Cup Challenge series. 

Joao Moreira and Frankie Dettori will both ride at the biggest meeting of the year at Maronas in UruguayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Jorge Ricardo, the world record holder for the number of career wins, rides in the concluding sprint, while present in both the Group 1s will be Joao Moreira, who already has greater popularity in Uruguay than any Brazilian sports star could reasonably expect, and not just for putting one over on rivals Argentina when steering Obataye to victory in the Carlos Pellegrini last month. 

"In the Ramirez, Moreira rides Native Extreme, who is one of the horses who can beat [local favourite] Obstacle," said Garcia. "Joao is very important to us because two years ago he won the Group 1 Gran Premio Ciudad de Montevideo on this day and he didn’t take the winner’s percentage. Instead, he bought a mechanical horse and gave it to the apprentice school at a small track near Maronas."

Garcia added: "When you consider the jockeys we'll have at the meeting, as well as the races and all the other attractions, we'll have a wonderful day."

Uruguay's place in the racing world

Uruguay may play third fiddle in South American racing to its much larger neighbours Argentina and Brazil in terms of horse population and number of meetings, but it received major international recognition in May 2025 when the IFHA promoted the country's Group and Listed races to part one of the International Cataloguing Standards Book. 

Pride of Uruguay: Invasor and Fernando Jara win the 2007 Dubai World Cup at Nad Al ShebaCredit: Edward Whitaker

In terms of success outside their own borders, Uruguayan trainers Alberto Cintra and Julio Olascoaga have enjoyed some notable victories in Dubai, and campaigned a former Ramirez winner in Ajuste Fiscal at Group 1 level on the dirt at Meydan. 

But the undoubted modern-day hero of Uruguayan racing is the Argentine-bred Invasor, who swept all before him in his home nation before being bought by Shadwell to go to the United States. 

Kiaran McLaughlin trained Invasor to win the Breeders' Cup Classic on his way to being named 2006 horse of the year at the Eclipse Awards, before landing the Dubai World Cup under Panamanian jockey Fernando Jara.  

Read more . . .

'I can relax now!' - Frankie Dettori's South American farewell tour gets off to perfect start with first winner in Argentina 

'I don’t want to embarrass myself. I want to put on a good show' - Frankie Dettori ready for first leg of final hurrah in Buenos Aires 

Frankie Dettori to retire from top-level riding after the Breeders' Cup - but reveals surprise plan before fully hanging up his saddle 

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