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The journey has been an exhilarating, magnificent and sometimes bumpy ride, yet now, it seems the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied jockey of the past 40 years is set to head into retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three chances to secure one last top-tier victory to his almost 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 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 have absolutely no interest in his profession. In a world which has become fragmented by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, in fact, goes back to an era when the show A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and a three-year stint as a team captain was sufficient to cement him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of the sport. His final year on the program was 2004, which was also the time when he secured the top jockey award for a third and last occasion. For much of the British public, though, he has likely been the top jockey for many seasons since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for events both on and off the track that have repeatedly 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 that day.

Back 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 he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

While everyone admires a champion, they often love a flawed hero and a return even more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for many riders in their 40s, more than enough time for trainers and owners to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension was a bridge to a revived partnership with John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of winners and Classic winners, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows were an essential part of his narrative, up to and including the humiliating admission this past March that he filed for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

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

Natural Ability

It was evident from his earliest days as a teenage apprentice that there was an instinctive rapport between horse and rider whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen 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 dominate without a loss just six years later. His iconic flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into his routine in 1994, and the buzz from winning major races has always stayed with him. Nor has the gift of sensing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to make a move and where openings will emerge.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the recognizable figure of UK horse racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, regardless if Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, in fact, an ambition that he had mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues means that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with sufficient funds in the bank to relax and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has already been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian’s burgeoning Amo Racing operation. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman last Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances are rare, very often. I like the set-up – this is a young team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” he stated. “When discussing great sportsmen such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi 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 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 collaborate with us very closely. He will participate in all aspects of our business [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Reality TV are another option, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity often showed a more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, beneath the cheerful public persona. On both shows, he was an early exit of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori personally is unsure what he'll do and how to spend his time once his race-riding days are over. And for at least 24 hours at least, he remains an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three mounts at one of the globe's prestigious and dazzling events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old mare named Argine will be Dettori’s last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race where he achieved his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she needs to improve to compete, but few riders historically have excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?