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The journey has been a thrilling, glorious and at times rocky path, but this time, it seems Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most celebrated rider over the last 40 years is set to enter retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three chances to secure one last Grade One winner to nearly 300 on his record already. The sport might not see a career quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Together with Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past half-century, “Frankie” is recognized by almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know who he is, even if they possess absolutely no interest in his profession. In a world which has become fragmented by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori may well be the last racing figure that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

His entire career in horse racing, after all, goes back to a time when A Question Of Sport often attracted over 10 million audience members, and his three-year role as a team leader was more than enough to establish him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of racing. His last year on the show was 2004, which was also the year when he won the top jockey award for the third and last occasion. As far as many in the UK, however, he has likely been the top jockey in most years after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a double-edged reward for events both on and off the track which have often pushed Dettori into the headlines, 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 the burning wreckage of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on 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 often love an imperfect hero and a return all the more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for many riders in their forties, more than enough time for owners and trainers to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 was a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of winners and classic victors, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and setbacks were an essential part of Dettori’s story, up to and including the humiliating admission this past March that he filed for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and failed, to keep private.

There were so many twists in his story, indeed, that it's easy to overlook that without his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

It was evident from his earliest days as a teenage apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport between horse and rider when Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also marked his emergence at the highest level with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge through unbeaten only six years later. His iconic flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Neither has the talent of sensing, with almost foresight, where to position, when to make a move and where the gaps will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the public face of British racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, whether or not Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that he always wanted to do”. It is not, in fact, a goal that he has mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues indicates that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with sufficient funds saved up to kick back and take it easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already 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 main reason for his departure now, as well as being able to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, frequently. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian, himself, was gushing in his praise for his new ambassador on Thursday at Del Mar. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about elite athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie is that to 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 entertain people, he's here to work and he will working with us closely. He will participate in all aspects of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Television reality shows is another possibility, though previous appearances on Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public image. On both shows, he was an early casualty of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori himself does not really know what he'll do and how he will fill his time after his riding career ends. 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 named Argine will be his last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she needs to find to figure, yet few jockeys in history have ever excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?