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The journey has been a thrilling, glorious and at times bumpy ride, yet now, it seems the famed jockey's decision is final. 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 this Saturday, when he will have three opportunities to secure one last top-tier victory to nearly 300 on his record already. Racing may not see a career quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last half-century, “Frankie” registers with almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know who he is, even if they possess no interest at all in his profession. In today's world which has become fragmented by social media and the internet, Dettori could be the last racing figure that will ever experience such immediate name-recognition among a wide segment of Britain's people.

His entire career in horse racing, after all, goes back to a time when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team captain was sufficient to establish him as the lively, unforgettable figure of the sport. His last year on the show came in 2004, which was also the time when he won 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 in most years since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for incidents on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori onto the front pages, since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame 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 small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that too was headline news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a comeback all the more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the end of most jockeys in their forties, more than enough time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of winners and classic victors, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The public highs 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 over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and failed, to keep private.

There were numerous turns to the tale, indeed, that it's easy to forget that without Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no story at all.

Natural Ability

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.

Steeds performed for him, and improved for him. In 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in a season, and also marked his arrival at the highest level with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge through unbeaten just six years later. His iconic flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with something akin to foresight, where to sit, when to strike and where the gaps will emerge.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the public face of British racing? It won't be simple to finally let go, whether or not Dettori pursues his apparent desire to take “a few rides in South America, which is something he always wanted to experience”. It is not, in fact, an ambition that he has mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that led to his tax issues 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 already been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing operation. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman last Friday this was the main reason for his departure now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances are rare, frequently. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with huge goals,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” he stated. “When discussing great sportsmen like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelé and people like that, Frankie represents 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 amuse audiences, he's here to work and he will be working with us closely. He will participate in every area of our business [but] he won’t be 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 moodier side of his personality, behind the ebullient public image. In both programs, he was an early exit of the public vote.

It's possible that Dettori personally is unsure what he'll do and how he will fill his time after his riding career are over. And for at least 24 hours at least, he remains an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three rides at one of the globe's prestigious and dazzling events on the schedule.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly 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 in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she has something to find to figure, but few riders in history have ever excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?