In the middle of the Derby day ballyhoo, Frankie Dettori took the unusual step of assuring the racing world that he was not, in fact, on the point of retirement. The Italian was moved to speak out after being repeatedly asked by friends and journalists, all of whom had heard a rumour that has been around for a few weeks but swept round Epsom like wildfire on Saturday.

Dettori, 47, has long insisted that he planned to continue riding until he was at least 50 years old, so stopping at this point would have been surprising, particularly in the middle of a season and particularly when he has a star like Cracksman to ride in races like the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Having won the second race on Derby day aboard the joint-favourite Wilamina, Dettori talked reporters through the race before adding, unprompted: “And I’m not retiring!

Well, you’ll have to retire one day, someone said. “No!” insisted Dettori, smiling but seemingly determined to get the message across. “Not this weekend, anyway.”

Turning to the crowd around the winner’s enclosure, he yelled: “I AM NOT RETIRING!” And to ram the point home, he added: “Five more years!” as he climbed the podium to receive his trophy.

In a subsequent interview on Racing UK, Dettori put a little more flesh on the bones. “There’s a rumour saying I’m gonna retire after the Derby. I am not. I’m definitely not retiring after the Derby, it’ll be at least another five years you’ll have to put up with me.”