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The journey has been an exhilarating, glorious and sometimes rocky path, but this time, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most celebrated rider over the last four decades will effectively head into retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three opportunities to secure one last Grade One winner to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not witness a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Together with Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last half-century, “Frankie” is recognized by pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. People know his identity, even if they possess absolutely no interest in what he does. In a world that has been fragmented by social media and online networks, Dettori may well be the last racing figure who will ever experience such immediate name-recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

His entire career in the sport, in fact, dates back to an era when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team leader was sufficient to cement him as the lively, unforgettable figure of the sport. His last year on the show was 2004, which was also the time when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and last occasion. As far as many in the UK, however, he has probably been the champion in most years since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing for incidents on and off the racecourse that have repeatedly propelled Dettori onto the front pages, ever since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races on the card.

Back in June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a light aircraft by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was headline news.

While everyone admires 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 end of most jockeys in their 40s, plenty of time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 was a bridge to a revived partnership with John Gosden at Newmarket, and a new series of winners and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The public highs and lows were an essential part of his narrative, right up until the humiliating admission in March that he filed for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep confidential.

There were so many twists in his story, indeed, that it can be easy to forget that without Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would be no story at all.

Natural Ability

It was evident from the start as a young apprentice that there was an instinctive rapport with the horses when Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in a season, and also announced his emergence at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same day that he would charge through unbeaten only six years later. His iconic flying dismount, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has always stayed with him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with something akin to foresight, where to sit, when to make a move and where the gaps will appear.

The Future Ahead

But what now 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, which is something he always wanted to experience”. This is not, in fact, a goal that he has mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues indicates that he will not draw down the curtain with enough money saved up to relax and take it easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. Dettori told Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, very often. I like the set-up – this is a young team with huge goals,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing elite athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi 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 countless 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 very closely. He will participate in all aspects of our business [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Television reality shows are another option, though previous appearances on Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a more somber aspect of his personality, beneath the cheerful public image. On both shows, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori himself does not really know what he will do and how he will fill his time once his race-riding days ends. And for another one more day, he stays an elite professional jockey, focused on three mounts at one of the globe's prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly named Argine will be his last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she needs to find to figure, but few riders in history have ever excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?