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The journey has been an exhilarating, glorious and sometimes bumpy ride, but this time, it appears Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most storied rider over the last four decades is set to 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 already in his record. Racing may not witness a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck in the last half-century, Frankie Dettori is recognized by almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know who he is, even if they have absolutely no interest in what he does. In today's world which has become divided by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

His entire career in horse racing, in fact, goes 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 sufficient to establish him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of the sport. His final year on the show came in 2004, that was also the time when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and last occasion. As far as much of the British public, though, 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 on and off the track which have often pushed Dettori into the headlines, since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners on the card.

Back in June 2000, he was pulled from a fiery crash of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

While everyone admires a winner, they often love an imperfect hero and a comeback even more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine would have been the finish for many riders in their forties, plenty of time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 was a bridge to a renewed association with John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and Classic winners, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and setbacks have been an essential part of his narrative, up to and including the embarrassing confession in March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns in his story, indeed, that it can be easy to overlook that without Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from his earliest days as a teenage apprentice that there was an instinctive rapport with the horses whenever Dettori was on board.

Steeds performed for him, and improved for him. In 1990, he became the first teen since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in a season, and also announced his arrival among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge without a loss just six years later. His iconic flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has never left him. Neither has the talent of sensing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to strike and where the gaps 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 pursues his expressed wish to accept some mounts in South America, which is something he always wanted to do”. This is not, in fact, an ambition that he had mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues indicates that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with enough money in the bank to relax and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian’s burgeoning Amo Racing operation. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, very often. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with huge goals,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, 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 you talk about elite athletes such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie is that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you know that he has influenced on so many 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 very closely. He will be involved in all aspects of our operations though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Reality TV are another option, although earlier outings on Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a moodier side of his personality, 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 race-riding days ends. And for at least 24 hours at least, he remains an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three mounts at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare named Argine will be Dettori’s final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race in which he registered his first Breeders’ Cup success back in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she has something to improve to compete, yet few jockeys in history have ever excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?