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It has been a thrilling, magnificent and sometimes bumpy ride, but this time, it seems Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most storied jockey of the past 40 years is set to enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three opportunities to secure one last top-tier victory to nearly 300 on his record already. The sport might not witness a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Together with racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck in the last half-century, “Frankie” registers with almost everybody, without needing a last name. The public knows who he is, even if they have no interest at all in what he does. In today's world which has become divided by social media and the internet, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

His entire career in the sport, after all, goes back to a time when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team captain was sufficient to cement him as the lively, unforgettable figure of racing. His last year on the show came in 2004, that was also the year when he secured the top jockey award for a third and final time. For many in the UK, though, he has probably been the top jockey in most years since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

This is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a double-edged reward for events on and off the racecourse which have often pushed Dettori onto the front pages, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners on the card.

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 he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was headline news.

While everyone admires a champion, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a comeback all the more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for many riders in their 40s, more than enough time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and Classic winners, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The celebrated successes and setbacks were an essential part of Dettori’s story, up to and including the humiliating admission in March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities over unpaid taxes, a situation that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There were numerous turns in his story, in fact, that it can be easy to forget that without Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would be no story at all.

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 achieve 100 wins in a season, and also announced his arrival among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate through unbeaten only six years later. His iconic flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the buzz from winning major races has never left him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to make a move and where openings will appear.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the recognizable figure of British racing? It will not be easy to step away completely, whether or not Dettori pursues his apparent desire to take “a few rides in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. It is not, in fact, an ambition that he had mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues indicates 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 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 last Friday this was the main reason for his departure now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances are rare, frequently. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He’s an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When discussing great sportsmen like LeBron James, Currys, Lionel Messi and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie is that to horse racing. When visiting 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 amuse audiences, he's here to work and he will working with us very closely. He will participate in every area of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Reality TV is another possibility, though previous appearances on Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have tended to reveal a moodier side to Dettori’s character, beneath the cheerful public persona. In both programs, he was an early casualty of the public vote.

It's possible that Dettori personally does not really know what he will do and how he will fill his time once his riding career are over. And for another 24 hours at least, he stays an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three rides at one of the most prestigious and dazzling events on the schedule.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly called Argine will be Dettori’s final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her form at home in Japan suggests that she has something to find to figure, but few riders historically have risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?