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The journey has been a thrilling, magnificent and at times bumpy ride, yet now, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most celebrated rider of the past four decades will effectively enter retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, when he will have three chances to secure one last top-tier victory to nearly 300 on his record already. The sport might not see a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past 50 years, “Frankie” is recognized by pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. People know his identity, even if they have absolutely no interest in his profession. In a world which has become fragmented by social media and the internet, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality who will ever experience such immediate name-recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, after all, dates back to an era when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team leader was sufficient to cement him as the lively, unforgettable figure of racing. His final year on the show was 2004, that was also the year when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and last occasion. As far as much of the British public, though, he has probably been the champion in most years after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for incidents on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori onto the front pages, 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 the burning wreckage of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they often love a flawed hero and a return 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, though, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of winners and Classic winners, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows were a crucial element of Dettori’s story, right up until the humiliating admission in March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep private.

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

Natural Ability

It was clear from his earliest days as a teenage apprentice that there was an instinctive rapport with the horses when Dettori was in the saddle.

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also marked his arrival at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge through unbeaten just six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has always stayed with him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with something akin to foresight, where to position, when to strike and where the gaps will appear.

The Future Ahead

But what now for the recognizable figure of British racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, whether or not Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to do”. This is not, in fact, a goal that he has mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that led to his tax issues means that Dettori will not end his career with enough money saved up to kick back 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. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, frequently. I like the set-up – this is a young team with huge goals,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing elite athletes such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelés and people like that, Frankie is that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you realize that he has influenced countless 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 very 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, though previous appearances on Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have tended to reveal a more somber aspect of his personality, behind the ebullient public image. On both shows, he was an early exit of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori himself does not really know what he will do and how he will fill his time after his riding career ends. And for another one more day, he remains an elite professional jockey, focused on three mounts at one of the globe's prestigious and dazzling events on the schedule.

The Final Ride

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

One last time, is it time for Frankie?