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The journey has been an exhilarating, magnificent and sometimes rocky path, yet now, it seems the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied jockey over the last 40 years will effectively enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, when he will have three chances to add a farewell Grade One winner to nearly 300 on his record already. Racing may not see a career like his ever again.

A Household Name

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past half-century, “Frankie” registers with almost everybody, without needing a last name. The public knows who he is, even if they possess no interest at all in his profession. In today's world that has been divided by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, in fact, dates back to an era when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million audience members, and a three-year stint as a team leader was sufficient to establish him as the lively, irrepressible face of the sport. His final year on the show was 2004, that was also the time when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and last occasion. For many in the UK, though, he has probably been the top jockey in most years after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

This is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for events both on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori into the headlines, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races on the card.

Back in June 2000, he was rescued from the burning wreckage of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff where the pilot lost his life. When at last ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that also became front-page news.

While everyone admires a champion, they often love a flawed hero and a return all the more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for most jockeys in their forties, plenty of time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows were a crucial element of his narrative, up to and including the humiliating admission this past March that he was filing for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep confidential.

There were so many twists in his story, indeed, that it can be easy to forget that without Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from his earliest days as a young apprentice that there was a natural connection with the horses when Dettori was on board.

Steeds performed for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in one season, and also announced his emergence among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would charge without a loss just six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has never left him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with almost foresight, where to sit, when to make a move and where openings will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the recognizable figure of British racing? It won't be simple to finally let go, whether or not Dettori pursues his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, in fact, a goal that he has mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that led to his tax issues indicates that he will not end his career with sufficient funds saved up to kick back and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing operation. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances are rare, very often. I like the set-up – 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’s an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about great sportsmen like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie is that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize that he has influenced on so many lives across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to entertain people, he’s here to actually work and he will be collaborate with us closely. He will participate in every area of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Television reality shows are another option, although earlier outings on Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have tended to reveal a more somber aspect of his personality, behind the ebullient public image. In both programs, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori himself is unsure what he'll do and how he will fill his time after his race-riding days are over. And for at least one more day, he remains an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three mounts at one of the globe's prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old mare called Argine will be Dettori’s last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race in which he registered his first Breeders’ Cup success in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she needs to find to figure, but few riders in history have ever risen to an occasion like Frankie Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?