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

A Household Name

Together with racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck in the last 50 years, “Frankie” is recognized by almost everybody, no surname required. The public knows his identity, even if they have absolutely no interest in his profession. In a 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 brand recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

His entire career in the sport, in fact, dates back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and a three-year stint as a team captain was sufficient to cement him as the lively, irrepressible face of the sport. His last year on the program was 2004, that was also the time when he won the top jockey award for the third and final time. As far as many in the UK, however, he has likely been the top jockey in most years since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

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

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

While everyone admires a champion, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a comeback all the more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the end of most jockeys in their forties, plenty of time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of winners and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and setbacks were a crucial element of his narrative, right up until the humiliating admission this past March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with tax authorities over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and failed, to keep confidential.

There have been numerous turns to the tale, in fact, that it's easy to forget that absent Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from the start as a teenage apprentice that he had a natural connection with the horses when Dettori was in the saddle.

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also announced his emergence at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would dominate 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 thrill from winning major races has never left him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to make a move and where openings will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the public face of British racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, regardless if Dettori pursues his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that he always wanted to experience”. This is not, after all, 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 he will not draw down the curtain with sufficient funds in the bank to kick back and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, frequently. I like the set-up – it's a youthful 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, a genuine legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing elite athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie is that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you realize that he’s made a big impact countless lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he's here to work and he will be collaborate with us closely. He will be involved in every area of our business [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Television reality shows is another possibility, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a moodier side of his personality, behind the ebullient 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 he will fill his time after his race-riding days are over. And for another 24 hours at least, he stays a top-level professional jockey, focused on three mounts at one of the globe's prestigious and dazzling events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly named Argine will be his final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event where he achieved 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 Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, is it time for Frankie?