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The journey has been an exhilarating, magnificent and at times rocky path, but this time, it appears the famed jockey's mind is made up. The most storied jockey of the past four decades is set to 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 Grade One winner to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not witness a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Together with Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past 50 years, Frankie Dettori is recognized by pretty much everyone, no surname required. People know who he is, even if they possess no interest at all in what he does. In a world that has been fragmented by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, after all, goes back to an era when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and his three-year role as a team leader was more than enough to cement him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of the sport. His final year on the program came in 2004, that was also the time when he secured the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and last occasion. As far as much of the British public, however, he has likely been the champion for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for events both on and off the racecourse that have repeatedly propelled Dettori into the headlines, ever since that memorable day 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 during takeoff where the 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 often love an imperfect hero and a return all the more. A six-month ban following a positive drug test for cocaine would have been the end of most jockeys in their forties, more than enough time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, his 2012 suspension was a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and lows have been a crucial element of Dettori’s story, right up until the embarrassing confession this past March that he filed for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and failed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns in his story, indeed, that it can be easy to forget that without Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

It was evident from the start as a young apprentice that there was an instinctive rapport between horse and rider whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he became the first teen since 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 card that he would charge without a loss just six years later. The famous flying dismount, adopted from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the buzz from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Neither has the talent of sensing, with almost foresight, where to sit, when to strike and where the gaps will emerge.

The Future Ahead

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, which is something he always wanted to experience”. It is not, after all, an ambition that he has mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to accept the tax advice that resulted in his dispute with HMRC means that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with enough money in the bank to relax and take things easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing operation. Dettori told Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, as well as being able to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, very often. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new ambassador on Thursday at Del Mar. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” he stated. “When discussing great sportsmen such as LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelé and people like that, Frankie is that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you realize that he’s made a big impact 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 very closely. He will be involved in every area of our operations [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Reality TV are another option, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … have tended to reveal a more somber aspect of his personality, 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 to spend his time once his riding career ends. And for another one more day, he stays an elite professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare named Argine will be Dettori’s final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she has something to improve to compete, but few riders historically have risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?