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It has been an exhilarating, glorious and at times bumpy ride, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most storied jockey over the last 40 years will effectively enter retirement after the main card during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, when he will have three opportunities to add a farewell top-tier victory to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not see a career quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Together with Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past 50 years, Frankie Dettori is recognized by pretty much everyone, no surname required. People know who he is, even if they have no interest at all in what he does. In a world which has become fragmented by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality who will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, after all, dates back to an era when the show A Question Of Sport often attracted over 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team leader was sufficient to cement him as the lively, unforgettable figure of racing. His last year on the program was 2004, which was also the year when he secured the top jockey award for a third and last occasion. As far as many in the UK, though, he has probably been the top jockey in most years after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for events both on and off the racecourse that have repeatedly propelled Dettori onto the front pages, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners 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 on takeoff where the pilot lost his life. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was headline news.

While everyone admires a champion, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a comeback all the more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine would have been the finish for most jockeys in their 40s, plenty of 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 trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of champions and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and lows have been an essential part of his narrative, right up until the humiliating admission this past March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep private.

There were so many twists in his story, in fact, that it can be easy to forget that without Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from his earliest days as a young apprentice that there was a natural connection with the horses whenever Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. In 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also marked his emergence at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate through unbeaten 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 buzz from winning major races has never left him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with almost clairvoyance, where to position, when to strike and where openings will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what now for the public face of British racing? It won't be simple to finally let go, whether or not Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to do”. It is not, in fact, an ambition that he has mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues means that Dettori will not end his career with enough money in the bank to relax and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's growing Amo Racing enterprise. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the primary reason for his departure now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, very often. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing elite athletes such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelés and people like that, Frankie represents that to horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize that he has influenced countless lives across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he’s here to actually work and he will be working with us closely. He will participate in every area of our operations [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Television reality shows are another option, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … have tended to reveal a more somber aspect of his personality, beneath the cheerful public persona. On both shows, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

It may be that Dettori himself does not really know what he'll do and how to spend his time after his race-riding days are over. And for another one more day, he stays an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three rides at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly named Argine will be his final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event where he achieved his first Breeders’ Cup success back in 1994. Her form at home in Japan suggests that she needs to find to figure, but few riders historically have risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?