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The journey has been an exhilarating, glorious and at times rocky path, but this time, it seems the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied rider over the last 40 years is set to head into retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three opportunities to add a farewell Grade One winner to his almost 300 already in his record. Racing may not see a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Together with racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past half-century, “Frankie” registers with almost everybody, without needing a last name. The public knows his identity, even if they possess no interest at all in his profession. In a world which has become divided by social media and online networks, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, after all, dates back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million audience members, and his three-year role as a team captain was more than enough to cement him as the lively, unforgettable figure of racing. His last year on the show came in 2004, which was also the year when he secured the top jockey award for the third and last occasion. As far as much of the British public, however, he has likely been the top jockey for many seasons after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for incidents both on and off the racecourse which have often pushed Dettori into the headlines, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to ride all seven winners that day.

In June 2000, he was pulled from a fiery crash of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they often love an imperfect hero and a comeback even more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine would have been the end of many riders in their forties, plenty of time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension was a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of winners and classic victors, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The celebrated successes and lows were a crucial element of Dettori’s story, up to and including the humiliating admission this past March that he filed 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 so many twists to the tale, in fact, that it can be easy to forget that absent Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

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

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also marked his arrival at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would dominate through unbeaten just six years later. The famous flying dismount, adopted from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the buzz from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to make a move and where openings will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the recognizable figure of British racing? It will not be easy to step away completely, regardless if Dettori pursues his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, something that he always wanted to do”. This is not, after all, an ambition 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 draw down the curtain with sufficient funds in the bank to relax and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman last Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, as well as being able to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, frequently. I appreciate the structure – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about great sportsmen such as LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelés and similar figures, Frankie represents that to horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, 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 be working with us very closely. He will participate in all aspects of our business [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Television reality shows are another option, although earlier outings on Celebrity 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 himself does not really know what he will do and how to spend his time after his riding career ends. And for another one more day, he stays a top-level professional jockey, concentrating on three mounts at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly called Argine will be his last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race in which he registered his first Breeders’ Cup success back in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she has something to find to figure, yet few jockeys in history have ever excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?