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The journey has been a thrilling, magnificent and at times rocky path, yet now, it seems the famed jockey's mind is made up. The most celebrated rider over the last 40 years will effectively enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three opportunities to add a farewell Grade One winner to nearly 300 on his record already. Racing may not witness a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past half-century, Frankie Dettori is recognized by pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. People know his identity, even if they possess absolutely no interest in his profession. In today's world which has become divided by social media and the internet, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

His entire career in the sport, after all, dates back to a time when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team leader was more than enough to establish him as the lively, unforgettable figure of racing. His final year on the show came in 2004, that was also the time when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and final time. For much of the British public, though, he has likely been the champion in most years since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a double-edged reward for events on and off the racecourse that have repeatedly pushed Dettori onto the front pages, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to ride all seven winners on the card.

In June 2000, he was rescued from the burning wreckage of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, following an accident during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When at last concluded his pursuit for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was headline news.

While everyone admires a champion, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a comeback even more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for most jockeys in their 40s, plenty of time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 was a bridge to a revived partnership with John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of winners and Classic winners, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The celebrated successes and lows have been a crucial element of his narrative, right up until the humiliating admission this past March that he was filing for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a situation that he attempted, and did not succeed, 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, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

It was clear from the start as a young apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport between horse and rider when Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also marked his emergence among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same card that he would dominate through unbeaten only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has always stayed with him. Nor has the gift of sensing, with almost clairvoyance, where to sit, when to make a move and where openings will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the public face of British racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, regardless if Dettori pursues his expressed wish to accept some mounts in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to experience”. It is not, in fact, a goal that he had mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to accept the tax advice that resulted in his dispute with HMRC 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 already been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s burgeoning Amo Racing operation. He explained to Matt Chapman on At The Races on Friday this was the main reason for his departure now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, very often. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with huge goals,” explained the jockey.

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

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

Television reality shows are another option, though previous appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … have tended to reveal a more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public image. On both shows, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

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 a top-level professional jockey, concentrating on three rides at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old mare called Argine will be his final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race where he achieved 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 in history have ever excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?