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The journey has been a thrilling, glorious and sometimes rocky path, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most celebrated jockey over the last four decades is set to enter retirement after the main card at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar this Saturday, when he will have three chances to secure one last top-tier victory to his almost 300 already in his record. Racing may not witness a career like his ever 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 who he is, even if they have no interest at all in his profession. In today's world that has been divided by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori may well be the last racing figure that will ever experience such immediate brand recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, after all, goes back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team leader was sufficient to cement him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of the sport. His final year on the show came in 2004, that was also the time when he secured the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and last occasion. For much of the British public, though, he has probably been the top jockey for many seasons after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

This is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for incidents on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori onto the front pages, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame massive 25,000-1 odds to win all seven races on the card.

In June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a light aircraft by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, following an accident during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot lost his life. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby victory in 2007, that also became front-page news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a comeback all the more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine would have been the finish for most jockeys in their forties, more than enough time for owners and trainers to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a renewed association with John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and classic victors, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The public highs and lows have been a crucial element of Dettori’s story, right up until the embarrassing confession 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 in his story, in fact, that it can be easy to overlook that absent his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was evident from his earliest days as a young apprentice that he had 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 became the first teen since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in a season, and also marked his arrival 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. His iconic flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has never left him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with something akin to foresight, where to position, when to make a move and where openings will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the recognizable figure of UK horse racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, regardless if Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, which is something he always wanted to do”. It is not, after all, an ambition that he had mentioned until now.

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

Fresh Ventures

He has already been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing operation. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman last Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, as well as being able to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, frequently. I appreciate the structure – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about great sportsmen such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie is that to 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 entertain people, he’s here to actually work and he will be working with us closely. He will participate in every area of our operations though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Reality TV is another possibility, although earlier outings on Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a moodier side to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public image. In both programs, he was an early exit of the public vote.

It's possible that Dettori himself does not really know what he will do and how to spend 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 mounts at one of the globe's prestigious and dazzling events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly called Argine will be his final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event where he achieved his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her form at home in Japan suggests that she has something to improve to compete, but few riders in history have ever excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?