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The journey has been a thrilling, glorious and sometimes rocky path, yet now, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most celebrated jockey over the last 40 years will effectively head into retirement after the main card at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three chances to secure one last Grade One winner to nearly 300 already in his record. Racing may not witness a career quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past half-century, “Frankie” is recognized by almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know his identity, even if they have no interest at all in what he does. In a world which has become divided by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori could be the last racing figure that will ever experience such immediate name-recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, after all, goes back to an era when A Question Of Sport often attracted over 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team leader was sufficient to establish him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of racing. His last year on the show came in 2004, that was also the year when he won the top jockey award for a third and final time. For much of the British public, though, he has probably been the top jockey in most years after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for incidents on and off the racecourse which have often pushed Dettori into the headlines, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to ride all seven winners on the card.

Back in June 2000, he was rescued from the burning wreckage of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash 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 front-page news.

While everyone admires a champion, they often love a flawed hero and a return even more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine would have been the end of many riders in their 40s, more than enough time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 was a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a new series of champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The public highs and lows have been an essential part of Dettori’s story, up to and including the embarrassing confession this past March that he was filing for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with tax authorities over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There were numerous turns in his story, indeed, that it can be easy to overlook that without Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would have been no story at all.

Natural Ability

It was evident from his earliest days as a young apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport between horse and rider whenever Dettori was on board.

Steeds performed for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also announced his arrival among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same day that he would charge without a loss just six years later. His iconic flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into his routine in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has never left him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with something akin to foresight, where to position, when to strike and where the gaps will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the recognizable figure of British racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, regardless if Dettori pursues his expressed wish to accept some mounts in South America, which is something he always wanted to experience”. This is not, in fact, a goal that he had mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that resulted in his dispute with HMRC means that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with enough money in the bank to relax and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing operation. He explained to Matt Chapman on At The Races on Friday this was the primary reason for his departure now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, very often. I like the set-up – this is a young team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about elite athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelés and similar figures, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, 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 be working with us very closely. He will participate in every area of our operations though he won't serve as 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 to Dettori’s character, beneath the cheerful public image. 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 race-riding days ends. And for at least 24 hours at least, he remains an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three mounts at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events in the calendar.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old filly named Argine will be Dettori’s last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event in which he registered his first Breeders’ Cup success back in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she needs to improve to compete, yet few jockeys historically have excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

One last time, is it time for Frankie?