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The journey has been an exhilarating, glorious and sometimes rocky path, yet now, it seems the famed jockey's mind is made up. The most storied jockey over the last 40 years will effectively enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three opportunities to add a farewell top-tier victory to nearly 300 already in his record. Racing may not witness a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past half-century, Frankie Dettori registers with almost everybody, no surname required. The public knows who he is, even if they possess no interest at all in his profession. In today's world that has been divided by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori may well be the last racing figure who will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

His entire career in the sport, in fact, goes back to an era when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team leader was sufficient to cement him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of the sport. His final year on the program came in 2004, that was also the year when he secured the top jockey award for a third and last occasion. As far as much of the British public, however, he has probably been the champion for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for events on and off the track that have repeatedly pushed Dettori into the headlines, since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races that day.

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

And if everyone loves a winner, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a return even more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for most jockeys in their 40s, more than enough time for owners and trainers to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 was a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a new series of champions and classic victors, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The public highs and setbacks have been an essential part of Dettori’s story, right up until the embarrassing confession in March that he was filing 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 have been numerous turns to the tale, in fact, that it's easy to overlook that without Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was evident from the start as a teenage apprentice that there was a natural connection between horse and rider whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

Steeds performed for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to reach 100 winners in a 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 just six years later. His iconic flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with almost foresight, where to sit, when to strike and where openings will emerge.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the public face of UK horse racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, regardless if Dettori fulfils his expressed wish to accept some mounts in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. It is not, after all, a goal that he had mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues indicates that he will not end his career with sufficient funds saved up to kick back and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing operation. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, frequently. I like the set-up – this is a young team with huge goals,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He’s an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When discussing elite athletes such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelés and people like that, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you know that he has influenced on so many lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to entertain people, he’s here to actually work and he will be working with us closely. He will be involved 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 often showed a moodier side to Dettori’s character, beneath the cheerful public persona. On both shows, he was an early exit 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 are over. And for another one more day, he remains a top-level professional jockey, concentrating on three rides at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly named 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 in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she needs to improve to compete, but few riders in history have ever excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?