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It has been a thrilling, glorious and sometimes bumpy ride, yet now, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most celebrated jockey over the last four decades will effectively enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three chances to add a farewell Grade One winner to nearly 300 on his record already. Racing may not see a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck in the last half-century, Frankie Dettori 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 what he does. In a world which has become fragmented by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality that will ever experience such immediate name-recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

His entire career in horse racing, in fact, goes back to an era when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team leader was more than enough to establish him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of the sport. His last year on the program came in 2004, that was also the time when he secured the top jockey award for a third and last occasion. As far as much of the British public, however, he has likely been the top jockey for many seasons after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It 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, since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to ride all seven winners that day.

In June 2000, he was rescued from the burning wreckage of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby victory in 2007, that also became headline news.

While everyone admires a winner, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a return even more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for many riders in their forties, more than enough time for trainers and owners to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension 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 lows were a crucial element of his narrative, right up until the embarrassing confession this past March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep confidential.

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

Natural Ability

It was evident from the start as a teenage apprentice that there was a natural connection with the horses when Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also announced his arrival among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate without a loss just six years later. The famous flying dismount, adopted from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into his routine in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has never left him. Nor has the gift of sensing, with almost clairvoyance, where to sit, when to strike and where openings will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the recognizable figure of British racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, regardless if Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to take “a few rides in South America, something that he always wanted to do”. It is not, in fact, an ambition that he has mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that led to his dispute with HMRC means that Dettori will not end his career with enough money in the bank to relax and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has already been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman last Friday this was the main reason for his departure now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances are rare, frequently. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador on Thursday at Del Mar. “He’s an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When discussing elite athletes such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, 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 actually work and he will working with us closely. He will be involved in all aspects of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Reality TV is another possibility, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity often showed a moodier side of his personality, behind the ebullient public persona. On both shows, he was an early casualty of the public vote.

It's possible that Dettori himself does not really know what he will do and how to spend his time after his riding career ends. And for another one more day, he remains an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three mounts at one of the globe's prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old filly named Argine will be his final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event where he achieved his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she needs to improve to compete, yet few jockeys historically have risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?