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The journey has been a thrilling, magnificent and at times rocky path, but this time, it appears Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most storied jockey over the last 40 years is set to head into retirement after the main card at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, when he will have three opportunities to secure one last Grade One winner to nearly 300 on his record already. The sport might not witness a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Together with Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last half-century, Frankie Dettori is recognized by pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. People know his identity, even if they possess absolutely no interest in what he does. In a world which has become fragmented by social media and the internet, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality that will ever experience such immediate brand recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, after all, goes back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and a three-year stint as a team leader was sufficient to establish him as the lively, irrepressible face of the sport. His final year on the show came in 2004, that was also the time when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and last occasion. For much of the British public, though, he has probably been the champion in most years after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing for events both on and off the track which have often propelled Dettori into the headlines, since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame massive 25,000-1 odds to win all seven races that day.

In June 2000, he was pulled from a fiery crash of a light aircraft by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that also became front-page news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a comeback all the more. A six-month ban following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for most jockeys in their 40s, more than enough time for trainers and owners to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a new series of champions and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The celebrated successes and lows have been a crucial element of his narrative, up to and including the humiliating admission this past March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns to the tale, indeed, that it's easy to overlook that without his tremendous, generational talent, there would have been no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from the start as a young apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport 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 Piggott to achieve 100 wins in one season, and also announced his arrival among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would dominate through unbeaten only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into his routine 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 the gaps will emerge.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the public face of UK horse racing? It won't be simple to finally let go, regardless if Dettori fulfils his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to do”. It is not, in fact, an ambition that he had mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that led to his dispute with HMRC indicates that Dettori will not end his career with enough money in the bank to kick back and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. He explained to 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 are rare, frequently. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with huge goals,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, he is a true legend in the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about elite athletes 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 know that he’s made a big impact countless lives worldwide.

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

Television reality shows is another possibility, though previous appearances on Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … have tended to reveal a more somber aspect of his personality, beneath the cheerful public image. On both shows, he was an early casualty of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori personally does not really know what he'll do and how to spend his time after his race-riding days ends. And for at least 24 hours at least, he remains an elite professional jockey, focused on three mounts at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old mare called 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 back in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she has something to improve to compete, yet few jockeys historically have excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?