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It has been a thrilling, magnificent and sometimes rocky path, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most storied jockey of the past four decades 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 Grade One winner to nearly 300 on his record already. The sport might not see a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck in the last half-century, “Frankie” is recognized by almost everybody, no surname required. The public knows his identity, even if they have no interest at all in what he does. In a world that has been fragmented by social media and online networks, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality who will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, after all, goes 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 captain was more than enough to cement him as the lively, irrepressible face of racing. His final year on the program was 2004, that was also the time when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and last occasion. For many in the UK, however, he has probably been the champion for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for incidents both on and off the racecourse that have repeatedly propelled 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.

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 where the pilot was killed. When at last concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they often love an imperfect hero and a return even more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for many riders in their 40s, plenty of time for trainers and owners to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, however, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and lows were an essential part of Dettori’s story, right up until the embarrassing confession this past March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns in his story, indeed, that it's easy to overlook that absent Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no story at all.

Natural Ability

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

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also marked his arrival among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same card that he would dominate without a loss just six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the buzz from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Nor has the gift of sensing, with something akin to foresight, where to sit, when to make a move and where openings will emerge.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the public face of UK horse racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, regardless if Dettori fulfils his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, after all, a goal that he had mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues means that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with enough money saved up to relax and take it easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. Dettori told Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances are rare, very often. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When discussing elite athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelé and people like that, Frankie is that to 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 collaborate with us very closely. He will participate in every area of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Reality TV are another option, though previous appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a more somber aspect of his personality, beneath the cheerful public image. In both programs, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori personally is unsure what he will do and how to spend his time after his race-riding days ends. And for at least 24 hours at least, he remains a top-level professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events in the calendar.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare called Argine will be Dettori’s last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event where he achieved his first Breeders’ Cup success in 1994. Her form at home indicates 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, cue Frankie?