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The journey has been a thrilling, magnificent and at times bumpy ride, but this time, it appears Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most storied jockey over the last four decades will effectively head into retirement after the main card at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three chances to secure one last Grade One winner 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” registers with pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. People know 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 may well be the last racing figure that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, in fact, dates back to a time when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in over 10 million audience members, and a three-year stint as a team captain was more than enough to establish him as the lively, unforgettable figure of racing. His last year on the show came in 2004, which was also the year when he secured the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and final time. As far as many in the UK, however, he has probably been the top jockey in most years since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for incidents both on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori onto the front pages, since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to ride all seven winners that day.

In June 2000, he was pulled 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 lost his life. When at last ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was front-page news.

While everyone admires a champion, they often love a flawed hero and a comeback all the more. A six-month ban following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the end of many riders in their forties, more than enough time for owners and trainers to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of champions and Classic winners, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and lows were an essential part of Dettori’s story, up to and including the embarrassing confession in March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep confidential.

There have been so many twists in his story, in fact, that it's easy to overlook that absent Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

It was evident from his earliest days as a teenage apprentice that there was a natural connection between horse and rider when Dettori was in the saddle.

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also announced his arrival at the highest level with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge without a loss only 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 always stayed with him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with almost foresight, where to sit, when to make a move and where the gaps will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what now for the recognizable figure of UK horse racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, whether or not Dettori pursues his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that he always wanted to experience”. It is not, in fact, a goal that he had mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that led to his dispute with HMRC indicates that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with enough money in the bank to relax and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing enterprise. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman last Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances don’t come along, frequently. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When discussing great sportsmen like LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie is that to horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize that he’s made a big impact countless lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to entertain people, he's here to work and he will be working with us very closely. He will be involved in every area of our operations [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Reality TV are another option, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have tended to reveal a moodier side to Dettori’s character, beneath the cheerful public persona. In both programs, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

It may be that Dettori himself is unsure what he'll do and how to spend his time once his riding career ends. And for at least one more day, he stays a top-level professional jockey, focused on three mounts at one of the most prestigious and dazzling events on the schedule.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly called Argine will be his last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race where he achieved his initial Breeders’ Cup win in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she has something to improve to compete, yet few jockeys in history have ever risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?