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The journey has been a thrilling, glorious and sometimes rocky path, but this time, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied jockey of the past 40 years will effectively enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three chances to secure one last top-tier victory to nearly 300 already in his record. The sport might not witness a career like his ever again.

A Household Name

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past half-century, Frankie Dettori is recognized by almost everybody, no surname required. People know his identity, even if they possess absolutely no interest in his profession. In today's world which has become fragmented by social media and online networks, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality who will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition among a wide segment of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, 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 leader was more than enough to cement him as the lively, irrepressible face of the sport. His final year on the show came in 2004, which was also the time when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for the 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 respects, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for incidents 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 massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners that day.

In June 2000, he was rescued from the burning wreckage of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, following an accident during takeoff where the pilot lost his life. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a comeback even more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the end of many riders in their 40s, plenty of time for trainers and owners to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and Classic winners, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and setbacks were an essential part of his narrative, right up until the humiliating admission in March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with tax authorities over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns to the tale, indeed, that it can be easy to overlook that absent his tremendous, 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 in the saddle.

Steeds performed for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to achieve 100 wins in a season, and also marked his arrival among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge 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 buzz from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Nor has the gift of sensing, with almost foresight, where to position, when to make a move and where the gaps will appear.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the recognizable figure of UK horse racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, whether or not Dettori fulfils his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to do”. It is not, after all, a goal that he has mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that led to his tax issues indicates that he will not end his career with enough money in the bank to relax and take it easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's growing Amo Racing operation. Dettori told Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, frequently. I like the set-up – this is a young team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about elite athletes like LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie is that for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you know that he’s made a big impact on so many lives across the world.

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

Reality TV is another possibility, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity often showed a more somber aspect of his personality, beneath the cheerful public persona. On both shows, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori personally does not really know what he will do and how he will fill his time after his race-riding days are over. And for at least one more day, he remains a top-level professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the most prestigious and dazzling events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare called Argine will be Dettori’s last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race where he achieved his first Breeders’ Cup success back in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she needs to improve to compete, yet few jockeys historically have risen to an occasion like Frankie Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?