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It has been a thrilling, glorious and at times bumpy ride, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most storied jockey over the last 40 years is set to head into retirement after the main card during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three chances to add a farewell Grade One winner to his almost 300 on his record already. Racing may not witness a career quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past half-century, Frankie Dettori registers with almost everybody, without needing a last name. The public knows who he is, even if they have absolutely no interest in what he does. In a world which has become divided by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality that will ever experience such immediate brand recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

His entire career in the sport, after all, dates back to a time when A Question Of Sport often attracted over 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team captain was more than enough to cement him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of the sport. His last year on the show was 2004, which was also the time when he secured the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and final time. As far as many in the UK, however, he has likely been the champion in most years since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for incidents on and off the track that have repeatedly propelled Dettori onto the front pages, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races that day.

Back in June 2000, he was rescued from a fiery crash of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on takeoff in which the plane’s pilot lost his life. When at last ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

While everyone admires a winner, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a comeback all the more. A six-month ban following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for many riders in their 40s, plenty of time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden at 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 Dettori’s story, up to and including the humiliating admission in March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep confidential.

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

Early Talent and Instincts

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

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also announced his emergence among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge without a loss only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the buzz from winning major races has never left him. Neither has the talent of sensing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to make a move and where openings will emerge.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the public face of British racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, regardless if Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, after all, a goal that he had mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that led to his dispute with HMRC means that Dettori will not end his career with sufficient funds saved up to relax and take it easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing operation. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman on 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 – this is a young team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about elite athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelés and similar figures, Frankie is that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize that he has influenced on so many lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he's here to work and he will collaborate with us closely. He will participate in all aspects of our operations [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 … have tended to reveal 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 is unsure what he will do and how to spend his time after his riding career are over. And for another 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.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare named Argine will be Dettori’s last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race where he achieved his first Breeders’ Cup success back in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she needs to find to figure, yet few jockeys historically have excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?