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It has been a thrilling, glorious and at times bumpy ride, yet now, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most celebrated jockey over the last 40 years will effectively enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three chances to add a farewell Grade One winner to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not witness a career like his ever again.

A Household Name

Together with Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past half-century, Frankie Dettori is recognized by almost everybody, no surname required. The public knows his identity, even if they have absolutely no interest in what he does. In a world which has become fragmented by social media and online networks, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality that will ever experience such immediate name-recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, in fact, dates back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport often attracted over 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team captain was more than enough to establish 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 the third and final time. As far as much of the British public, though, he has probably been the champion in most years after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for incidents both on and off the track which have often pushed Dettori into the headlines, ever since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he defied massive 25,000-1 odds to win all seven races that day.

In June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff in which the plane’s 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 winner, they often love a flawed hero and a comeback even more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the end of many riders in their 40s, plenty of time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension was a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of champions and Classic winners, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and setbacks have been an essential part of Dettori’s story, right up until the humiliating admission in March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities over unpaid taxes, a situation that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There have been so many twists in his story, indeed, that it's easy to overlook that absent Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was evident from his earliest days as a teenage apprentice that he had a natural connection between horse and rider when Dettori was on board.

Steeds performed 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 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 riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with something akin to foresight, where to position, when to strike and where the gaps will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the public face of British racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, whether or not Dettori pursues his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, in fact, an ambition that he had mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that resulted in his dispute with HMRC indicates that he will not end his career with sufficient funds saved up to kick back and take it easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing operation. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman last Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, very often. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian, himself, was gushing in his praise for his new recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about elite athletes like LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie is that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you know that he’s made a big impact on so many lives across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he's here to work and he will be collaborate 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, although earlier outings on Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have tended to reveal a moodier side of his personality, behind the ebullient public persona. On both shows, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

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

One Last Mount

A five-year-old filly named Argine will be Dettori’s last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race where he achieved his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she needs to find to figure, but few riders historically have excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?