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It has been an exhilarating, glorious and at times bumpy ride, but this time, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied jockey over the last four decades will effectively enter retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three chances to secure one last top-tier victory to nearly 300 on his record already. Racing may not witness a career like his ever again.

A Household Name

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past 50 years, Frankie Dettori registers with pretty much everyone, no surname required. People know his identity, even if they have no interest at all in his profession. In today's world that has been divided by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori could be the last racing figure who will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, in fact, dates back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in over 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team captain was sufficient to establish him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of the sport. His last year on the program came in 2004, that was also the year when he won the top jockey award for a third and final time. For many in the UK, however, he has probably been the champion for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for events both on and off the racecourse that have repeatedly propelled Dettori onto the front pages, ever since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame odds of 25,000-1 to ride all seven winners that day.

Back in June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a light aircraft by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When at last ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was headline news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they often love a flawed hero and a comeback all the more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine would have been the finish for most jockeys in their forties, more than enough time for trainers and owners 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 champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows were a crucial element of Dettori’s story, 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 situation that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns in his story, in fact, that it's easy to forget that without Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from his earliest days as a young apprentice that he had a natural connection with the horses when Dettori was on board.

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also marked his emergence at the highest level with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge through unbeaten only six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the American 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. Neither has the talent of knowing, with something akin to 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 finally let go, whether or not Dettori pursues his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, which is something he always wanted to experience”. It is not, in fact, an ambition that he had mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that resulted in his dispute with HMRC means that he will not draw down the curtain with sufficient funds saved up to relax and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has already been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. He explained to Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances don’t come along, very often. 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’s an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about elite athletes like LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelés and people like that, Frankie is that for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize that he’s made a big impact 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 be working with us closely. He will be involved 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, though previous appearances on Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, beneath the cheerful public persona. In both programs, he was an early casualty of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori personally does not really know what he will do and how he will fill his time after his riding career are over. And for another one more day, he remains an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three rides 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 last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event where he achieved his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she needs to improve to compete, but few riders in history have ever risen to an occasion like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?