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The journey has been an exhilarating, magnificent and at times rocky path, yet now, it seems the famed jockey's mind is made up. The most celebrated rider of the past four decades will effectively head into retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three opportunities to secure one last Grade One winner to nearly 300 on his record already. The sport might not witness a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last 50 years, Frankie Dettori is recognized by almost everybody, no surname required. The public knows who he is, even if they possess no interest at all in his profession. In today's world which has become fragmented by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori may well be the last racing figure who will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

His entire career in the sport, after all, dates back to an era when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team captain was more than enough to establish him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of racing. His final year on the show was 2004, which was also the time when he secured the top jockey award for the third and final time. As far as many in the UK, though, he has probably been the champion for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for incidents 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 massive 25,000-1 odds 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 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.

While everyone admires a champion, 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 end of most jockeys in their forties, plenty of time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a new series of winners and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The celebrated successes and lows were an essential part of Dettori’s story, up to and including the embarrassing confession this past March that he filed for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns in his story, indeed, that it can be easy to forget that without his tremendous, generational talent, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

It was evident from the start as a young apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport between horse and rider when Dettori was in the saddle.

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also announced his emergence at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge through unbeaten just six years later. His iconic flying dismount, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into his routine in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Neither has the talent of sensing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to make a move and where the gaps will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the public face of British racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, regardless if Dettori pursues his apparent desire to take “a few rides in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to experience”. It is not, after all, an ambition that he has mentioned until now.

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that resulted in his tax issues indicates that Dettori will not end his career with sufficient funds 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 soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the primary reason for his departure now, as well as being able to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances don’t come along, frequently. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new ambassador on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, he is a true legend in the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about elite athletes like LeBron James, Currys, Lionel Messi and Pelé and people like that, Frankie is that for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you know that he’s made a big impact countless lives across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he's here to work and he will be collaborate with us closely. He will be involved in all aspects of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Reality TV are another option, though previous appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have tended to reveal a moodier side to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public image. On both shows, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It may be that Dettori himself does not really know what he'll do and how to spend his time after his race-riding days ends. And for at least one more day, he stays a top-level professional jockey, focused on three mounts at one of the globe's prestigious and dazzling events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

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 performance in Japan indicates that she needs to find to figure, yet few jockeys historically have risen to an occasion like Frankie Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?