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It has been an exhilarating, magnificent and at times bumpy ride, but this time, it seems Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most storied rider of the past four decades is set to head into retirement after the main card during the Breeders’ Cup at 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 quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last 50 years, Frankie Dettori is recognized by almost everybody, no surname required. The public knows who he is, even if they possess absolutely no interest in his profession. In today's world that has been divided by social media and the internet, Dettori may well be the last racing figure who will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition among a wide segment of Britain's people.

His entire career in the sport, in fact, dates back to an era when the show A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team captain was sufficient to establish him as the lively, unforgettable figure of racing. His final year on the show was 2004, that was also the time when he secured the top jockey award for the third and final time. As far as much of the British public, though, he has probably been the top jockey in most years after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for incidents on and off the racecourse that have repeatedly propelled Dettori into the headlines, ever since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame massive 25,000-1 odds to win all seven races that day.

Back in June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became front-page news.

While everyone admires a winner, they often love an imperfect hero and a comeback even more. A six-month ban following a positive drug test for cocaine would have been the end of most jockeys in their 40s, plenty of time for owners and trainers to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, however, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a revived partnership with John Gosden at Newmarket, and a new series of champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and setbacks were an essential part of Dettori’s story, up to and including the embarrassing confession this past March that he was filing for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There were numerous turns in his story, indeed, that it's easy to overlook that without his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no story at all.

Natural Ability

It was clear from his earliest days as a teenage apprentice that there was a natural connection between horse and rider whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in a season, and also announced his arrival at the highest level with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same card that he would dominate through unbeaten only six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into his routine in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has never left him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with almost clairvoyance, where to position, when to make a move and where openings will emerge.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the public face of British racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, 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, a goal that he has mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to accept the tax advice that led to his tax issues means that Dettori will not end his career with sufficient funds in the bank to kick back and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has already been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing operation. 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 conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances are rare, very often. I like the set-up – this is a young team with huge goals,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, he is a true legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about great sportsmen such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelé 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 across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to entertain people, he’s here to actually work and he will be working with us closely. He will be involved in every area of our business [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Television reality shows is another possibility, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … often showed a moodier side of his personality, behind the ebullient public image. On both shows, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

It may be that Dettori himself is unsure what he will do and how to spend his time after his race-riding days are over. And for another 24 hours at least, he remains a top-level professional jockey, concentrating on three mounts at one of the most prestigious and dazzling events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old mare named Argine will be his last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she has something to improve to compete, but few riders historically have excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?