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The journey has been an exhilarating, magnificent and at times rocky path, but this time, it appears Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most celebrated jockey over the last 40 years is set to head into retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three chances to add a farewell top-tier victory to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not witness a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past 50 years, “Frankie” registers with pretty much everyone, no surname required. The public knows his identity, even if they possess absolutely no interest in his profession. In a world that has been fragmented by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori may well be the last racing figure who will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

His entire career in horse racing, after all, dates back to a time when A Question Of Sport often attracted over 10 million audience members, and a three-year stint as a team leader was sufficient to cement him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of racing. His last year on the program came in 2004, which was also the time when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and last occasion. As far as many in the UK, though, he has probably been the top jockey in most years after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for events both on and off the track which have often propelled Dettori onto the front pages, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races on the card.

Back in June 2000, he was pulled from a fiery crash of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot lost his life. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that too was front-page news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they often love an imperfect hero and a return all the more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the end of most jockeys in their forties, plenty of time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a revived partnership with John Gosden at Newmarket, and a new series of champions and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows were a crucial element of his narrative, up to and including the embarrassing confession 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 were numerous turns in his story, in fact, that it's easy to forget that absent his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from the start as a teenage apprentice that he had a natural connection with the horses when Dettori was on board.

Steeds performed for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in one season, and also marked his arrival at the highest level with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate through unbeaten only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has never left him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, 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 won't be simple to finally let go, whether or not Dettori fulfils his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to experience”. It is not, in fact, a goal that he has mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that resulted in his dispute with HMRC means that he will not end his career with enough money saved up to relax and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian’s burgeoning Amo Racing operation. Dettori told Matt Chapman on At The Races on Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances don’t come along, very often. I like the set-up – this is a young 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, he is a true legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about great sportsmen such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelés and people like that, Frankie is that for 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 amuse audiences, he's here to work and he will be working with us very closely. He will participate in every area of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Television reality shows are another option, though previous appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have tended to reveal a more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public image. In both programs, he was an early exit 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 once his riding career are over. And for at least one more day, he stays a top-level professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the globe's prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old filly named Argine will be Dettori’s final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event in which he registered his first Breeders’ Cup success in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she has something to improve to compete, yet few jockeys in history have ever excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, is it time for Frankie?