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It has been a thrilling, glorious and sometimes rocky path, yet now, it seems the famed jockey's decision is final. The most celebrated jockey over the last 40 years will effectively head into retirement after the main card 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. Racing may not witness a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last half-century, “Frankie” is recognized by pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. People know who he is, even if they have no interest at all in what he does. In a world which has become divided by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori may well be the last racing figure who will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

His entire career in the sport, in fact, 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 more than enough 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 likely been the top jockey for many seasons after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

This is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for events both on and off the track which have often pushed Dettori into the headlines, since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to ride all seven winners that day.

Back in June 2000, he was rescued from the burning wreckage of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, following an accident during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

While everyone admires a winner, they often love a flawed hero and a return even more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for most jockeys in their 40s, more than enough time for owners and trainers to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, however, his 2012 suspension was a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows have been an essential part of his narrative, right up until 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 Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There have been so many twists to the tale, indeed, that it can be easy to forget that without his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was evident from the start as a teenage apprentice that there was a natural connection with the horses when Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he became the first teen since Lester Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also marked his emergence 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, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with almost clairvoyance, where to position, when to strike and where openings will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what now for the public face of British racing? It won't be simple to finally let go, regardless if Dettori pursues his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to do”. This is not, after all, a goal that he has mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to accept the tax advice that resulted in his tax issues indicates that he will not draw down the curtain with enough money 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 football super-agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing operation. He explained to Matt Chapman on At The Races on Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, as well as being able to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, frequently. I like the set-up – this is a young team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing great sportsmen such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelés and people like that, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize 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 collaborate with us closely. He will be involved in all aspects of our operations [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Television reality shows is another possibility, though previous appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … have tended to reveal a moodier side of his personality, behind the ebullient public persona. On both shows, he was an early casualty of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori personally is unsure what he will do and how he will fill his time after his riding career ends. And for at least 24 hours at least, 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 final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she has something to find to figure, yet few jockeys historically have excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?