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It has been a thrilling, magnificent and at times rocky path, yet now, it seems the famed jockey's mind is made up. The most storied jockey over the last 40 years will effectively enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three chances to add a farewell top-tier victory to his almost 300 on his record already. The sport might not see a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last 50 years, Frankie Dettori is recognized by almost everybody, no surname required. The public knows his identity, even if they have no interest at all in what he does. In a world which has become divided by social media and online networks, Dettori could be the last racing figure that will ever experience such immediate brand recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

His entire career in horse racing, after all, dates back to an era when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in over 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team captain was more than enough to cement him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of racing. His final year on the program came in 2004, which was also the time when he secured the top jockey award for a third and final time. For many in the UK, though, he has probably been the champion for many seasons after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a double-edged reward for events on and off the racecourse that have repeatedly propelled Dettori into the headlines, ever since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he defied massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners on the card.

In June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff where the pilot lost his life. When at last concluded his pursuit for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was front-page news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they often love an imperfect hero and a return even more. A six-month ban 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, however, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a revived partnership with John Gosden at Newmarket, and a new series of champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and lows have been a crucial element of Dettori’s story, right up until the humiliating admission in March that he filed for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns in his story, indeed, that it can be easy to overlook that without Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would be no story at all.

Natural Ability

It was clear from his earliest days as a teenage apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport with the horses when Dettori was in the saddle.

Steeds performed for him, and improved for him. In 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also marked his emergence at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge through unbeaten only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has always stayed with him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to strike and where the gaps will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the public face of British racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, regardless if Dettori pursues his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that he always wanted to do”. This is not, in fact, a goal that he has mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to accept the tax advice that led to his dispute with HMRC means that he will not draw down the curtain with enough money saved up to relax and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the primary reason for his departure now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, frequently. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with huge goals,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian, himself, was gushing in his praise for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, he is a true legend in the sport,” he stated. “When discussing great sportsmen such as LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelés and people like that, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you know that he has influenced on so many lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he’s here to actually work and he will collaborate with us very 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 are another option, though previous appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a moodier side of his personality, beneath the cheerful public image. On both shows, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It may be that Dettori personally does not really know what he will do and how he will fill his time once his race-riding days are over. And for at least 24 hours at least, he remains an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three mounts at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old mare called Argine will be his last top-level ride 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 has something to improve to compete, but few riders historically have risen to an occasion like Frankie Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?