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It has been an exhilarating, magnificent and at times rocky path, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most storied rider 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 secure one last top-tier victory to nearly 300 already in his record. Racing may not see a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Together with Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past 50 years, “Frankie” registers with pretty much everyone, no surname required. The public knows his identity, even if they possess absolutely no interest in what he does. In today's world that has been fragmented by social media and the internet, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality that 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 the show A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in over 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team captain was sufficient to establish him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of racing. His final year on the program was 2004, which was also the year when he won the top jockey award for a third and last occasion. For much of the British public, however, he has probably been the top jockey in most years since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing for incidents 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 win all seven races on the card.

In June 2000, he was rescued from the burning wreckage of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff where the pilot lost his life. When at last ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that also became headline news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a comeback all the more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine would have been the finish for most jockeys in their forties, more than enough 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 fresh succession of champions and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The public highs and lows were a crucial element of Dettori’s story, up to and including the embarrassing confession this past March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There have been so many twists to the tale, in fact, that it can be easy to forget that absent Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would have been no story at all.

Natural Ability

It was clear from his earliest days as a young apprentice that he had a natural connection between horse and rider when Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also announced his emergence among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would dominate without a loss only six years later. The famous flying dismount, adopted from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into his routine in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Nor has the gift of sensing, with almost foresight, where to sit, when to strike and where the gaps will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what now for the recognizable figure of British racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, regardless if Dettori fulfils his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to do”. It is not, in fact, a goal that he has mentioned until now.

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that resulted in his dispute with HMRC means that Dettori will not end his career with enough money in the bank to kick back and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing enterprise. Dettori told Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the main reason for his departure now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances are rare, very often. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian, himself, was gushing in his praise for his new ambassador on Thursday at Del Mar. “He’s an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When discussing great sportsmen such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelés and similar figures, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you know that he has influenced on so many 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 participate in all aspects of our operations though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Television reality shows are another option, although earlier outings on Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed 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 may be 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 24 hours at least, he remains an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three rides at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly called Argine will be his final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win in 1994. Her form at home in Japan suggests that she has something to find to figure, but few riders in history have ever excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?