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The journey has been a thrilling, glorious and at times bumpy ride, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most storied jockey of the past 40 years will effectively enter retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three opportunities to add a farewell top-tier victory to nearly 300 on his record already. Racing may not witness a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Together with Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past 50 years, “Frankie” is recognized by almost everybody, without needing a last name. The public knows his identity, even if they possess absolutely no interest in what he does. In a world that has been divided by social media and the internet, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, after all, goes back to an era when the show A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in over 10 million audience members, and his three-year role as a team captain was more than enough to establish him as the lively, unforgettable figure of the sport. His final year on the show came in 2004, that was also the year when he secured the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and last occasion. For much of the British public, though, he has probably been the top jockey for many seasons after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a double-edged reward for events on and off the track that have repeatedly propelled Dettori onto the front pages, since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied massive 25,000-1 odds to win all seven races that day.

Back in June 2000, he was rescued from a fiery crash of a light aircraft by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, following an accident during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was front-page news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a return all the more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the end of most jockeys in their forties, plenty of time for trainers and owners to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a revived partnership with John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of champions and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows were an essential part of his narrative, up to and including the humiliating admission in March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns to the tale, in fact, that it's easy to overlook that without his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from the start as a teenage apprentice that there was a natural connection between horse and rider whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. In 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also marked his arrival among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate without a loss only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has always stayed with him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with almost foresight, where to sit, when to strike and where openings will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the public face of UK horse racing? It will not be easy to step away completely, whether or not Dettori fulfils his expressed wish to accept some mounts in South America, something that he always wanted to experience”. It is not, after all, a goal that he has mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that led to his tax issues means that he will not draw down the curtain with enough money in the bank to relax and take things easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian’s burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. Dettori told Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, frequently. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian, himself, was gushing in his praise for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing elite athletes like LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelés and people like that, Frankie represents that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you know that he’s made a big impact countless lives across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he’s here to actually work and he will be collaborate with us closely. He will be involved in all aspects of our business [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Television reality shows are another option, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … have tended to reveal a more somber aspect of his personality, beneath the cheerful public persona. On both shows, he was an early casualty of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori personally is unsure what he'll do and how he will fill his time after his riding career ends. And for another one more day, he stays an elite professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the most prestigious and dazzling events in the calendar.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare named Argine will be his last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her form at home in Japan suggests that she has something to find to figure, yet few jockeys historically have excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?