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The journey has been an exhilarating, glorious and at times bumpy ride, but this time, it seems Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most storied jockey over the last four decades will effectively enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three opportunities 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.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past 50 years, Frankie Dettori is recognized by pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. The public knows his identity, even if they have absolutely no interest in his profession. In a world which has become fragmented by social media and the internet, Dettori could be the last racing figure that will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, after all, dates back to an era when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and his three-year role as a team leader was sufficient to cement him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of the sport. His last year on the program came in 2004, that 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 likely been the top jockey in most years since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing for events both on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori into the headlines, ever since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners that day.

In June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, following an accident during takeoff where the pilot was killed. When at last concluded his pursuit for a Derby victory in 2007, that also became headline news.

While everyone admires a champion, they often love a flawed hero and a comeback all the more. A six-month ban following a positive drug test for cocaine would have been the finish for most jockeys in their 40s, 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 renewed association with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and lows have been a crucial element of his narrative, right up until the embarrassing confession in March that he filed for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There were numerous turns in his story, in fact, that it can be easy to forget that without his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no story at all.

Natural Ability

It was evident from the start as a teenage apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport with the horses whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also announced his arrival among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same day that he would charge through unbeaten only six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the buzz from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to make a move and where openings will emerge.

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 take “a few rides in South America, which is something he always wanted to experience”. It is not, after all, an ambition that he had mentioned until now.

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that resulted in his dispute with HMRC means that he will not end his career with sufficient funds in the bank to kick back and take things easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the football super-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. “Such chances are rare, very often. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, he is a true legend in the sport,” he stated. “When discussing elite athletes like LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelés and people like that, Frankie is that to horse racing. When you go into 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 entertain people, he’s here to actually work and he will working with us closely. He will participate in every area of our business [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Television reality shows are another option, although earlier outings on Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a moodier side to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public image. In both programs, he was an early casualty of the public vote.

It's possible that Dettori himself is unsure what he will do and how he will fill his time after his race-riding days are over. And for at least 24 hours at least, he stays a top-level professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the globe's prestigious and dazzling events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare called Argine will be his last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win in 1994. Her form at home in Japan suggests that she needs to improve to compete, but few riders in history have ever risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?