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The journey has been a thrilling, magnificent and sometimes bumpy ride, yet now, it appears Frankie Dettori'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 in Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three chances to secure one last Grade One winner to his almost 300 on his record already. The sport might not witness a career like his ever again.

A Household Name

Alongside Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past half-century, Frankie Dettori is recognized by pretty much everyone, no surname required. The public knows who he is, even if they have absolutely no interest in what he does. In a world which has become divided by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori could be the last racing figure that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, after all, dates back to an era when the show A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in over 10 million audience members, 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 show came in 2004, that was also the time when he secured the top jockey award for the third and last occasion. For much of the British public, though, he has likely been the champion in most years since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for events both on and off the track which have often pushed Dettori onto the front pages, ever since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races on the card.

In June 2000, he was pulled from a fiery crash of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, 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 front-page news.

While everyone admires a champion, they often love a flawed hero and a return all the more. A six-month ban after a failed 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, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a renewed association with John Gosden at Newmarket, and a new series of winners and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and setbacks have been an essential part of Dettori’s story, right up until the embarrassing confession in March that he was filing for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with tax authorities over unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There were numerous turns to the tale, indeed, that it can be easy to forget that without his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

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

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also announced his emergence among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would charge through unbeaten just six years later. The famous flying dismount, adopted from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has never left him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with something akin to foresight, where to sit, when to strike and where the gaps will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the public face of British racing? It won't be simple to finally let go, whether or not Dettori fulfils his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, after all, a goal that he has mentioned until now.

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

Fresh Ventures

He has been appointed to a new position as a “global ambassador” with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing enterprise. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the main reason for his exit 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 big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about elite athletes like LeBron James, Currys, Lionel Messi and Pelés and people like that, Frankie is that for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, 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 work and he will collaborate with us very 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.”

Reality TV are another option, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity often showed a moodier side of his personality, beneath the cheerful public image. On both shows, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori himself is unsure what he'll do and how to spend his time after his riding career ends. And for at least one more day, he stays a top-level professional jockey, concentrating on three rides 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 first Breeders’ Cup success in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she has something to find to figure, yet few jockeys historically have excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?