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It has been a thrilling, glorious and at times rocky path, but this time, it appears Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most celebrated jockey over the last four decades is set to enter retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, when he will have three chances to add a farewell top-tier victory to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not see a career quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck in the last 50 years, Frankie Dettori is recognized by almost everybody, without needing a last name. The public knows who he is, even if they have absolutely no interest in what he does. In a world which has become fragmented by social media and online networks, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality who will ever experience such immediate brand recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, after all, goes back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and his three-year role as a team captain was more than enough to cement him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of racing. His last year on the program came in 2004, which was also the year when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and final time. For many in the UK, though, he has likely been the champion in most years after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for incidents both on and off the track that have repeatedly propelled Dettori into the headlines, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races on the card.

Back in June 2000, he was pulled from a fiery crash of a light aircraft by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a comeback all the more. A half-year suspension 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 seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and lows were a crucial element of his narrative, right up until the humiliating admission in March that he was filing for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There have been so many twists to the tale, indeed, that it's easy to forget that absent Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would have been no story at all.

Natural Ability

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

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. In 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in one season, and also marked his emergence among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate without a loss only 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 buzz from winning major races has always stayed with 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.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the public face of British racing? It will not be easy to step away completely, regardless if Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, which is something he always wanted to do”. It is not, after all, a goal that he had mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that led to his dispute with HMRC means that Dettori will not end his career with enough money in the bank to kick back and take it 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. He explained to Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, frequently. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with huge goals,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about elite athletes such as LeBron James, Currys, Lionel Messi and Pelé and people like that, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you realize that he has influenced on so many lives across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he’s here to actually work and he will be collaborate with us very closely. He will participate in every area of our business [but] he won’t be 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, behind the ebullient public persona. On both shows, he was an early casualty of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori personally does not really know what he will do and how he will fill his time after his riding career ends. And for another 24 hours at least, he remains a top-level professional jockey, concentrating on three rides at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old mare called Argine will be Dettori’s final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race where he achieved his first Breeders’ Cup success back in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she needs to improve to compete, but few riders in history have ever excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

One last time, is it time for Frankie?