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The journey has been a thrilling, magnificent and sometimes rocky path, but this time, it seems the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied rider of the past 40 years will effectively enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three opportunities to secure one last Grade One winner to nearly 300 on his record already. Racing may not witness a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past 50 years, “Frankie” is recognized by almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know his identity, even if they possess no interest at all in his profession. In today's world that has been divided by social media and online networks, Dettori could be the last racing figure who will ever experience such immediate brand recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

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 leader was more than enough to cement him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of racing. His final year on the program came in 2004, which was also the time when he secured the top jockey award for a third and last occasion. For much of the British public, though, he has probably been the top jockey for many seasons after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

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

In June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff in which the plane’s pilot lost his life. When at last ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was front-page news.

While everyone admires a winner, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a comeback even more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the end of most jockeys in their forties, more than enough time for trainers and owners to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 was a bridge to a revived partnership with 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 his narrative, right up until the humiliating admission in March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There have been so many twists to the tale, indeed, that it can be easy to overlook that absent Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was evident from his earliest days as a young apprentice that there was a natural connection between horse and rider whenever 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 emergence among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same day that he would charge without a loss only six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the buzz from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with almost clairvoyance, where to sit, when to strike and where openings will appear.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the public face of British 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 he always wanted to experience”. This is not, after all, an ambition that he has mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that led to his dispute with HMRC indicates that he will not end his career with enough money saved up to relax and take things easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been appointed to a new position 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 departure now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances are rare, very often. I like the set-up – this is a young team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about great sportsmen like LeBron James, Currys, Lionel Messi and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you realize that he’s made a big impact on so many lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to entertain people, he's here to work and he will collaborate with us very closely. He will be involved in every area of our business [but] he won’t be 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 more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public persona. In both programs, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It may be that Dettori personally does not really know what he'll do and how he will fill his time once 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 Dettori’s last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race where he achieved his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she has something to find to figure, but few riders historically have excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?