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It has been an exhilarating, magnificent and at times rocky path, but this time, it appears Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most celebrated rider over the last four decades will effectively head into retirement after the main card during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three opportunities to secure one last Grade One winner to his almost 300 on his record already. The sport might not witness a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Together with Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past 50 years, Frankie Dettori is recognized by almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know his identity, even if they have no interest at all in his profession. In a world that has been fragmented by social media and the internet, Dettori may well be the last racing figure that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

His entire career in horse racing, after all, goes back to a time when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 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 final year on the show came in 2004, which was also the year when he won the top jockey award for the third and last occasion. For much of the British public, though, he has likely been the champion for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many ways, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for incidents on and off the racecourse that have repeatedly pushed Dettori into the headlines, since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners that day.

Back in June 2000, he was rescued from a fiery crash of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was headline news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they often love a flawed hero and a comeback even more. A six-month ban following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the end of most jockeys in their 40s, plenty of time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a renewed association with John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The public highs and setbacks were a crucial element of his narrative, up to and including the humiliating admission in March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There have been so many twists to the tale, indeed, that it's easy to forget that without his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

It was evident from his earliest days as a young apprentice that he had a natural connection between horse and rider when Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also announced his arrival among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate without a loss just six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the buzz from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Neither has the talent of sensing, with something akin to foresight, where to position, when to strike and where openings will appear.

The Future Ahead

But what now for the public face of UK horse racing? It won't be simple to finally let go, regardless if Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, which is something he always wanted to do”. This is not, in fact, an ambition that he has mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that resulted in his dispute with HMRC means that he 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 a “global ambassador” with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing operation. He explained to Matt Chapman on At The Races on Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, as well as being able to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, frequently. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about great sportsmen like LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelé and people like that, Frankie is that to horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you know that he has influenced countless lives across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he's here to work and he will collaborate with us very 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 are another option, though previous appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a more somber aspect of his personality, behind the ebullient public persona. In both programs, he was an early exit of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori personally does not really know what he will do and how to spend his time after his riding career are over. And for another one more day, he remains an elite professional jockey, focused on three mounts at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events in the calendar.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare named Argine will be Dettori’s last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win in 1994. Her form at home in Japan suggests that she has something to find to figure, yet few jockeys in history have ever excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?