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It has been an exhilarating, magnificent and sometimes rocky path, yet now, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied jockey over the last 40 years will effectively enter retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, when he will have three opportunities to secure one last top-tier victory to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not see a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past half-century, Frankie Dettori is recognized by pretty much everyone, no surname required. People know his identity, even if they have no interest at all in his profession. In today's world which has become fragmented by social media and online networks, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality that will ever experience such immediate name-recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, in fact, dates back to an era when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team captain was sufficient to cement him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of racing. His final year on the program came in 2004, that was also the year when he won the top jockey award for a third and final time. As far as much of the British public, though, he has probably been the champion for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a double-edged reward for incidents on and off the track that have repeatedly pushed Dettori onto the front pages, 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 a fiery crash of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff where the pilot lost his life. When at last concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became front-page news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a comeback even more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine would have been the end of most jockeys in their forties, more than enough time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a revived partnership with John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The celebrated successes and lows were a crucial element of his narrative, right up until the embarrassing confession in March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There have been numerous turns to the tale, indeed, that it can be easy to forget that without Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

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 when Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to achieve 100 wins in one season, and also announced his arrival at the highest level with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would charge without a loss only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the buzz from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Neither has the talent of sensing, with almost clairvoyance, where to position, when to strike and where openings will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the public face of UK horse racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, regardless if Dettori fulfils his expressed wish to accept some mounts in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, after all, a goal that he had mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to accept the tax advice that led to his tax issues indicates that he will not draw down the curtain with sufficient funds in the bank to relax and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the football super-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, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances are rare, frequently. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian, himself, was gushing in his praise for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He’s an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing great sportsmen like LeBron James, Currys, Lionel Messi and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you know 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 working with us closely. He will participate in every area 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 Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have tended to reveal a moodier side to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public image. On both shows, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori himself does not really know what he will do and how to spend his time once his riding career are over. And for another 24 hours at least, he remains an elite professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the globe's prestigious and dazzling events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare called Argine will be Dettori’s final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she needs to improve to compete, yet few jockeys historically have risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?