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It has been a thrilling, magnificent and at times bumpy ride, but this time, it appears Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most celebrated jockey of the past four decades is set to head into retirement after the main card during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three chances 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.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck in the last 50 years, “Frankie” is recognized by almost everybody, no surname required. The public knows his identity, even if they have absolutely no interest in his profession. In a world which has become divided by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori could be the last racing figure who will ever experience such immediate brand recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, after all, goes back to an era when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and a three-year stint as a team leader was more than enough to cement him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of racing. His last year on the program was 2004, which was also the year when he secured the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and last occasion. For many in the UK, though, he has probably been the champion in most years after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many ways, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing 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 defied massive 25,000-1 odds to win all seven races that day.

Back in June 2000, he was rescued from a fiery crash of a light aircraft by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When at last ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they often love a flawed hero and a return all the more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for most jockeys in their 40s, more than enough time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a revived partnership with John Gosden at Newmarket, and a new series of winners and Classic winners, such as 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 this past March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There were so many twists to the tale, indeed, that it can be easy to forget that absent his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

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

Steeds performed for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to achieve 100 wins in one season, and also announced his emergence among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same card that he would dominate without a loss only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Nor has the gift of sensing, with almost foresight, where to sit, when to strike and where openings will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what now for the recognizable figure of British racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, whether or not Dettori pursues his expressed wish to accept some mounts in South America, which is something he always wanted to experience”. It is not, in fact, an ambition that he has mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to accept the tax advice that resulted in his tax issues means that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with enough money in the bank to relax and take it easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the soccer 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, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances don’t come along, frequently. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new ambassador on Thursday at Del Mar. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about elite athletes such as LeBron James, Currys, Lionel Messi and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize that he has influenced countless lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he’s here to actually work and he will be collaborate 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 are another option, 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 exit due to viewer votes.

It's possible 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 one more day, he stays a top-level professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the globe's prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare called Argine will be his final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event where he achieved his first Breeders’ Cup success in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she needs to improve to compete, yet few jockeys in history have ever excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?