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The journey has been an exhilarating, magnificent and sometimes bumpy ride, but this time, it appears Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most celebrated jockey of the past 40 years will effectively enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three opportunities to secure one last Grade One winner to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not witness a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Together with Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past 50 years, “Frankie” is recognized by pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. The public knows his identity, even if they possess absolutely no interest in what he does. In today's world which has become divided by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori could be the last racing figure who will ever experience such immediate name-recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, after all, dates 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 captain was more than enough to cement him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of racing. His final year on the show was 2004, that was also the year when he secured the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and last occasion. As far as many in the UK, however, he has likely been the top jockey for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many ways, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for incidents on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori into the headlines, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame odds of 25,000-1 to ride all seven winners that day.

In June 2000, he was rescued from a fiery crash of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, following an accident during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When at last ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that too was front-page news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they often love a flawed hero and a comeback all the more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine would have been the end of most jockeys in their 40s, plenty of time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a renewed association with John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of champions and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows were an essential part of Dettori’s story, up to and including 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 failed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns in his story, in fact, that it's easy to overlook that absent Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would be no story at all.

Natural Ability

It was clear from the start as a teenage apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport between horse and rider when Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also marked his arrival at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge without a loss only six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Neither has the talent of sensing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to sit, when to strike and where the gaps will emerge.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the recognizable figure of British racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, whether or not Dettori pursues his apparent desire to take “a few rides in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, after all, a goal that he has mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to accept the tax advice that led to his dispute with HMRC indicates that he will not draw down the curtain with enough money saved up to relax and take things easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has already been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing operation. Dettori told Matt Chapman on At The Races on Friday this was the main 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 – it's a youthful team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” he stated. “When discussing elite athletes such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelé and people like that, Frankie is that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, 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 very closely. He will participate in all aspects of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Reality TV is another possibility, though previous appearances on Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a moodier side of his personality, beneath the cheerful public persona. On both shows, he was an early exit of the public vote.

It's possible that Dettori personally is unsure what he will do and how he will fill his time after his riding career ends. And for at least one more day, he stays a top-level professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the globe's prestigious and dazzling events on the schedule.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old mare named Argine will be Dettori’s final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race where he achieved his first Breeders’ Cup success in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates 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?