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The journey has been a thrilling, magnificent and at times rocky path, but this time, it seems Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most storied rider of the past 40 years is set to head into retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three chances to add a farewell Grade One winner to his almost 300 on his record already. Racing may not witness a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past 50 years, Frankie Dettori registers with pretty much everyone, no surname required. People know his identity, even if they possess no interest at all in what he does. In a world which has become divided by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

His entire career in horse racing, after all, dates back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million audience members, and his three-year role as a team leader was sufficient to cement him as the lively, irrepressible face of racing. His final year on the program came in 2004, that was also the time when he secured the top jockey award for the third and final time. As far as much of the British public, however, he has probably been the top jockey for many seasons since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

This is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing for incidents both on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori onto the front pages, since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races on the card.

In June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff in which the plane’s pilot lost his life. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

While everyone admires a champion, they often love an imperfect hero and a return even more. A six-month ban following a positive 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, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of winners and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows were an essential part of Dettori’s story, up to and including the embarrassing confession in March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that he attempted, and failed, to keep confidential.

There were so many twists to the tale, in fact, that it can be easy to forget that without his tremendous, generational talent, there would be no story at all.

Natural Ability

It was clear from the start as a teenage apprentice that he had a natural connection between horse and rider whenever Dettori was on board.

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Lester 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 card that he would charge without a loss only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the buzz from winning major races has never left him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with almost clairvoyance, where to position, when to make a move and where the gaps will appear.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the public face of UK horse racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, regardless if Dettori pursues his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that he always wanted to do”. It is not, in fact, a goal that he has mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues means that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with enough money saved up to kick back and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has been appointed to a new position as an international 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. “Such chances are rare, frequently. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing elite athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie is 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 entertain people, he's here to work and he will be collaborate with us closely. He will participate in all aspects of our operations though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Television reality shows are another option, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have tended to reveal a more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public image. In both programs, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It may be that Dettori personally is unsure what he will do and how to spend his time once his race-riding days ends. And for at least 24 hours at least, he stays a top-level professional jockey, focused on three mounts at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old filly called Argine will be his final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she needs to find to figure, but few riders historically have excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?