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The journey has been a thrilling, magnificent and at times rocky path, but this time, it seems the famed jockey's decision is final. The most celebrated rider over the last four decades is set to head into retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, when he will have three chances to add a farewell Grade One winner to his almost 300 on his record already. The sport might not witness a career like his ever again.

A Household Name

Alongside Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past half-century, Frankie Dettori is recognized by pretty much everyone, no surname required. The public knows who he is, even if they possess absolutely no interest in his profession. In today's world which has become fragmented by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality who will ever experience such immediate name-recognition among a wide segment of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, in fact, goes back to a time when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and his three-year role as a team leader was sufficient to cement him as the lively, irrepressible face of the sport. His final year on the show was 2004, that was also the year when he secured the top jockey award for a third and last occasion. For much of the British public, though, he has likely been the top jockey in most years after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for incidents both on and off the racecourse that have repeatedly propelled Dettori into the headlines, since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races that day.

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

While everyone admires a winner, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a comeback even more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine would have been the end of most jockeys in their 40s, plenty of time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a revived partnership with John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of winners and Classic winners, including 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 after a prolonged dispute with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns in his story, in fact, that it can be easy to overlook that without his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from the start as a young apprentice that he had a natural connection between horse and rider whenever Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. In 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in a season, and also marked his emergence at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge without a loss only six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the buzz from winning major races has always stayed with him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with something akin to foresight, where to sit, when to make a move and where the gaps will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the recognizable figure of British racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, regardless if Dettori pursues his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, in fact, an ambition that he has mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to accept the tax advice that resulted in his dispute with HMRC indicates that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with enough money in the bank to kick back and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing operation. He explained to Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, very often. I appreciate the structure – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about great sportsmen like LeBron James, Currys, Lionel Messi and Pelés and people like that, Frankie is that for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you know that he’s made a big impact countless lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he's here to work and he will collaborate with us closely. He will be involved in every area of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Reality TV is another possibility, though previous appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … have tended to reveal a moodier side to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public image. On both shows, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

It may be that Dettori personally is unsure what he will do and how he will fill his time after his riding career are over. And for at least 24 hours at least, he remains a top-level professional jockey, concentrating on three rides at one of the globe's prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly called Argine will be his final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race where he achieved his first Breeders’ Cup success back in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she has something to improve to compete, but few riders in history have ever risen to an occasion like Frankie Dettori.

One last time, is it time for Frankie?