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It has been a thrilling, glorious and at times bumpy ride, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most storied jockey of the past four decades is set to head into retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three opportunities to secure one last top-tier victory to nearly 300 already in his record. The sport might not see a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past half-century, “Frankie” registers with pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. People know who he is, even if they have absolutely no interest in what he does. In today's world that has been divided by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality that will ever experience such immediate name-recognition among a wide segment of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, in fact, dates back to an era when A Question Of Sport often attracted over 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team leader was more than enough to cement him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of racing. His last year on the show came in 2004, which was also the time when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and final time. For much of the British public, however, he has probably been the top jockey for many seasons since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a double-edged reward for events both on and off the racecourse that have repeatedly propelled Dettori onto the front pages, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners that day.

Back 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 lost his life. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was front-page news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they often love an imperfect hero and a return all the more. A six-month ban following a positive drug test for cocaine would have been the finish for most jockeys in their forties, more than enough time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a renewed association with John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of winners and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The celebrated successes and lows have been an essential part of his narrative, right up until the humiliating admission in March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with tax authorities over 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 overlook that absent Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would have been no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

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

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to achieve 100 wins in one season, and also marked his arrival among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would dominate without a loss only six years later. His iconic flying dismount, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into his routine in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Nor has the gift of sensing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to strike and where openings will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the recognizable figure of British racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, whether or not Dettori pursues his expressed wish to accept some mounts in South America, which is something he always wanted to do”. This is not, in fact, an ambition that he had mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that resulted in his dispute with HMRC indicates that he will not draw down the curtain with enough money saved up to relax and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been appointed to a new position as a “global ambassador” with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, frequently. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing great sportsmen such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelés and people like that, Frankie is that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you realize that he has influenced countless lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to entertain people, he's here to work and he will be working with us closely. He will be involved in all aspects of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Reality TV are another option, though previous appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a more somber aspect of his personality, behind the ebullient public image. In both programs, he was an early exit of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori himself is unsure what he'll do and how to spend his time once his riding career ends. And for at least 24 hours at least, he stays an elite professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the most prestigious and glamorous 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 in which he registered his first Breeders’ Cup success in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she has something to find to figure, but few riders historically have excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?