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The journey has been a thrilling, magnificent and at times rocky path, but this time, it appears Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most storied rider over the last four decades is set to enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three chances to add a farewell top-tier victory to nearly 300 already in his record. Racing may not see a career quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck in the last 50 years, “Frankie” registers with pretty much everyone, no surname required. People know his identity, even if they possess absolutely no interest in his profession. In a world that has been divided by social media and online networks, Dettori may well be the last racing figure that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition among a wide segment of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, after all, goes back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and his three-year role as a team captain was sufficient to cement him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of the sport. His last year on the show came in 2004, that was also the time when he won the top jockey award for a third and final time. As far as much of the British public, however, he has probably been the champion in most years since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing for incidents both on and off the racecourse which have often pushed Dettori onto the front pages, since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners that day.

In June 2000, he was rescued from a fiery crash of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they often love a flawed hero and a return even more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for many riders in their forties, more than enough time for owners and trainers to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 was a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of champions and classic victors, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The celebrated successes and lows were a crucial element of Dettori’s story, right up until the humiliating admission in March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns to the tale, in fact, that it can be easy to overlook that without Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from his earliest days as a young apprentice that there was a natural connection between horse and rider whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also announced 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, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has never left him. Nor has the gift of sensing, with something akin to foresight, where to position, when to strike and where the gaps will emerge.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the public face of British racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, regardless if Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, after all, a goal that he has mentioned until now.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that led to his tax issues indicates that Dettori will not end his career with sufficient funds in the bank to kick back 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 enterprise. Dettori told Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the primary reason for his departure now, as well as being able to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, frequently. I like the set-up – this is a young team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian, himself, was gushing in his praise for his new ambassador on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” he stated. “When discussing elite athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelés and similar figures, Frankie represents that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize that he has influenced on so many 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 collaborate with us very closely. He will be involved in every area of our business [but] he won’t be 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 moodier side of his personality, beneath the cheerful public image. 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 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, focused on three rides at one of the globe's prestigious and dazzling events in the calendar.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old filly named Argine will be his final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she needs to find to figure, yet few jockeys historically have risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?