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It has been a thrilling, glorious and sometimes rocky path, but this time, it appears the famed jockey's mind is made up. The most storied rider of the past 40 years will effectively enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, when he will have three opportunities to secure one last Grade One winner to his almost 300 on his record already. Racing may not see a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last 50 years, “Frankie” is recognized by almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know his identity, even if they have absolutely no interest in his profession. In a world which has become divided by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori may well be the last racing figure who will ever experience such immediate name-recognition among a wide segment of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, after all, dates back to an era when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team leader was more than enough to establish him as the lively, unforgettable figure of the sport. 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 last occasion. As far as much of the British public, however, he has probably been the champion in most years after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

This is, in many ways, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for events on and off the racecourse which have often pushed Dettori into the headlines, since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame 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 light aircraft by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was headline news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they often love a flawed hero and a comeback even more. A six-month ban following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for many riders in their forties, more than enough time for owners and trainers to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a renewed association with John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows have been an essential part of his narrative, up to and including the embarrassing confession this past March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There were so many twists in his story, indeed, that it can be easy to overlook that absent Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from his earliest days as a young apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport between horse and rider whenever Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since 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 card that he would charge through unbeaten only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the US 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 sensing, with almost clairvoyance, where to position, when to make a move and where openings will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the recognizable figure of British racing? It will not be easy 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 do”. It is not, in fact, a goal that he had mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision 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 confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing operation. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the main reason for his departure now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, very often. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing great sportsmen like LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelés and people like that, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you know that he has influenced countless lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he's here to work and he will collaborate with us very closely. He will be involved in every area of our operations [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

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

It's possible that Dettori personally does not really know what he'll do and how he will fill his time once his race-riding days ends. And for another one more day, he stays a top-level professional jockey, concentrating on three mounts at one of the most prestigious and dazzling events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old filly 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 back in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she needs to improve to compete, but few riders historically have risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?