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The journey has been an exhilarating, magnificent and sometimes rocky path, but this time, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied jockey of the past four decades is set to enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three chances to secure one last Grade One winner to his almost 300 on his record already. Racing may not see a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last half-century, Frankie Dettori registers with almost everybody, no surname required. People know who he is, even if they possess absolutely no interest in what he does. In a world that has been divided by social media and online networks, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, after all, goes back to an era when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million audience members, and a three-year stint as a team leader was more than enough to establish him as the lively, unforgettable figure of the sport. His final year on the show came in 2004, which was also the time when he secured the top jockey award for the third and last occasion. For much of the British public, though, he has likely been the top jockey in most years since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing for incidents both on and off the racecourse which have often pushed Dettori onto the front pages, ever since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he defied massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners that day.

In June 2000, he was rescued from a fiery crash of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on takeoff where the pilot was killed. When at last ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was headline news.

While everyone admires a champion, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a return even more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for most jockeys in their forties, more than enough time for trainers and owners to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension was a bridge to a renewed association with John Gosden at Newmarket, and a new series of champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and setbacks were an essential part of Dettori’s story, right up until the humiliating admission in March that he was filing for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There were numerous turns in his story, in fact, that it can be easy to overlook that without his tremendous, generational talent, there would be no story at all.

Natural Ability

It was evident from the start as a young apprentice that he had a natural connection with the horses when Dettori was on board.

Steeds performed for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to achieve 100 wins in a 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 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 clairvoyance, where to position, when to make a move and where openings will appear.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the recognizable figure of British racing? It will not be easy to step away completely, regardless if Dettori pursues his expressed wish to accept some mounts in South America, something that he always wanted to do”. It is not, after all, an ambition that he has mentioned until now.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues indicates that he will not end his career with enough money in the bank to kick back and take things easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's growing Amo Racing operation. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman last Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, frequently. I like the set-up – this is a young team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about elite athletes like LeBron James, Currys, Lionel Messi and Pelé and people like that, Frankie represents that to horse racing. When you go into 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 actually work and he will be working with us very closely. He will participate in every area of our operations [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

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

It may be that Dettori himself is unsure what he'll do and how to spend his time after his race-riding days are over. And for another one more day, he remains a top-level professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the most prestigious and dazzling events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

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 back in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she has something to find to figure, but few riders in history have ever risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?