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It has been a thrilling, magnificent and at times rocky path, but this time, it seems the famed jockey's mind is made up. The most storied jockey over the last four decades is set to head into retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, when he will have three opportunities to add a farewell top-tier victory to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not see a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Together with Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past half-century, Frankie Dettori registers with almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know who he is, even if they possess absolutely no interest in his profession. In today's world which has become divided by social media and online networks, Dettori may well be the last racing figure who will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition among a wide segment of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, in fact, dates back to an era when the show A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million viewers, 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 show was 2004, which was also the year when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and final time. For much of the British public, however, he has probably been the top jockey for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a double-edged reward for incidents both on and off the racecourse which have often pushed Dettori into the headlines, ever since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame massive 25,000-1 odds to win all seven races on the card.

In June 2000, he was rescued from a fiery crash of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, 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 frequently adore an imperfect hero and a return all the more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine would have been the finish for most jockeys in their forties, more than enough time for owners and trainers to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of winners and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and setbacks have been a crucial element 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 over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep confidential.

There were numerous turns to the tale, indeed, that it's easy to overlook that absent Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would have been no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was evident from the start as a young apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport with the horses when Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in one season, and also marked his emergence at the highest level with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate without a loss only six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has never left him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with almost foresight, where to sit, when to strike and where openings will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the public face of UK horse racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, whether or not Dettori pursues his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, something that he always wanted to do”. It is not, in fact, a goal that he had mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that led to his tax issues means that he will not end his career with enough money saved up to kick back and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing operation. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman last Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances don’t come along, very often. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise 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 such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelés and similar figures, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize that he has influenced on so many lives worldwide.

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

Reality TV is another possibility, although earlier outings on Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have tended to reveal a moodier side to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public persona. In both programs, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori personally does not really know what he'll do and how to spend his time once his race-riding days ends. And for another one more day, he remains a top-level 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 called Argine will be Dettori’s final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she has something to improve to compete, but few riders in history have ever excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, is it time for Frankie?