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The journey has been an exhilarating, glorious and sometimes rocky path, but this time, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied rider over the last 40 years is set to 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 top-tier victory to nearly 300 already in his record. Racing may not witness a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Together with racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck in the last 50 years, “Frankie” registers with pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. The public knows who he is, even if they have no interest at all in his profession. In a world that has been divided by social media and online networks, Dettori could be the last racing figure who will ever experience such immediate brand recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, in fact, dates back to an era when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and his three-year role as a team captain was sufficient to establish him as the lively, irrepressible face of the sport. His last year on the program came in 2004, that was also the time when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and last occasion. As far as many in the UK, though, he has likely been the champion for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing for events on and off the track which have often pushed Dettori onto the front pages, ever since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame massive 25,000-1 odds to win all seven races that day.

Back in June 2000, he was pulled from a fiery crash of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When at last concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

While everyone admires a winner, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a return all the more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine would have been the finish for many riders in their 40s, plenty of time for trainers and owners to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension was a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of winners and Classic winners, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and setbacks were an essential part of Dettori’s story, up to and including the humiliating admission in March that he filed for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities over unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep private.

There have been so many twists in his story, in fact, that it's easy to overlook that absent Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no story at all.

Natural Ability

It was clear from his earliest days as a young apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport between horse and rider whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to achieve 100 wins in one season, and also announced his emergence among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate through unbeaten just six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the buzz from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with something akin to foresight, where to position, when to strike 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 step away completely, whether or not Dettori pursues his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to do”. This is not, in fact, a goal that he had mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to accept the tax advice that resulted in his tax issues 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 appointed to a new position as a “global ambassador” with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's growing Amo Racing enterprise. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances don’t come along, frequently. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about elite athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelé and people like that, Frankie represents that to horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you realize that he has influenced on so many lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to entertain people, he's here to 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 have tended to reveal a more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public persona. On both shows, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

It may be that Dettori personally does not really know what he'll do and how to spend his time after his race-riding days are over. And for another 24 hours at least, he remains a top-level professional jockey, concentrating on three rides at one of the globe's 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 in which he registered his first Breeders’ Cup success back in 1994. Her form at home in Japan suggests that she has something to improve to compete, but few riders historically have excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?