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It has been an exhilarating, magnificent and at times rocky path, but this time, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied jockey over the last four decades will effectively head into retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three opportunities to add a farewell top-tier victory to nearly 300 on his record already. Racing may not witness a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck in the last 50 years, “Frankie” registers with almost everybody, without needing a last name. The public knows who he is, even if they have absolutely no interest in his profession. In today's world which has become fragmented by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori may well be the last racing figure that will ever experience such immediate name-recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, in fact, dates back to an era when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in over 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team leader was sufficient to cement him as the lively, irrepressible face of the sport. His last year on the program was 2004, that was also the time when he secured the top jockey award for a third and last occasion. For many in the UK, though, he has probably been the top jockey for many seasons after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for incidents on and off the racecourse which have often propelled 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 pulled from a fiery crash of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, following an accident during takeoff where the pilot lost his life. When at last concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a return all the more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine would have been the finish for most jockeys in their forties, plenty of time for owners and trainers to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of champions and Classic winners, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows have been a crucial element of Dettori’s story, right up until the humiliating admission in March that he was filing for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There have been so many twists to the tale, in fact, that it can be easy to overlook that absent Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

It was clear from the start as a young apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport with the horses whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to achieve 100 wins in a season, and also announced his emergence among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate without a loss just six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill 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 British racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, regardless if Dettori pursues his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. It is not, in fact, an ambition that he has mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that resulted in his dispute with HMRC indicates that he will not draw down the curtain with sufficient funds in the bank to kick back and take things easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing operation. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman last Friday this was the main reason for his departure now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, very often. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with huge goals,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing great sportsmen such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelés and people like that, Frankie is that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize that he has influenced countless lives across the world.

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

Reality TV is another possibility, although earlier outings on Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have tended to reveal a more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, beneath the cheerful public persona. In both programs, he was an early exit of the public vote.

It's possible that Dettori personally is unsure what he'll do and how he will fill his time once his riding career ends. And for at least 24 hours at least, he stays a top-level professional jockey, focused on three mounts at one of the globe's prestigious and glamorous 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 identical event in which he registered his first Breeders’ Cup success in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she has something to improve to compete, but few riders historically have risen to an occasion like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?