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The journey has been an exhilarating, magnificent and at times rocky path, but this time, it seems the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied rider over the last four decades will effectively head into retirement after the main card at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three chances to secure one last Grade One winner to nearly 300 on his record already. The sport might not see a career quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Together with racing great Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last 50 years, “Frankie” registers with almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know his identity, even if they possess no interest at all in his profession. In today's world that has been fragmented by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori may well be the last racing figure that will ever experience such immediate brand recognition among a wide segment of Britain's people.

His entire career in the sport, in fact, goes back to an era when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team captain was more than enough to cement him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of racing. His last year on the program was 2004, which was also the time when he secured the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and final time. As far as many in the UK, though, he has likely been the champion in most years after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many ways, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for incidents both on and off the track which have often pushed Dettori into the headlines, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners on the card.

Back in June 2000, he was rescued from the burning wreckage of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When at last concluded his pursuit for a Derby victory in 2007, that also became front-page news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they often love an imperfect hero and a return even more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for many riders in their forties, 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 trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows were a crucial element of his narrative, right up until the embarrassing confession this past March that he was filing for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There were so many twists in his story, indeed, that it's easy to overlook that without his tremendous, generational talent, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was evident from his earliest days as a young apprentice that there was a natural connection with the horses when Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also marked his emergence at the highest level with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate without a loss only six years later. His iconic flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into his routine in 1994, and the buzz from winning major races has never left him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to sit, when to strike and where openings will appear.

The Future Ahead

But what now for the public face of British racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, regardless if Dettori fulfils his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to do”. This is not, in fact, a goal that he had mentioned until now.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that led to his dispute with HMRC indicates that he will not draw down the curtain with sufficient funds saved up to kick back and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has already been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's growing Amo Racing enterprise. He explained to Matt Chapman on At The Races on Friday this was the primary reason for his departure now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances don’t come along, very often. 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 recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about great sportsmen such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelés and similar figures, Frankie is that to horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize that he’s made a big impact on so many lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to entertain people, he's here to work and he will be collaborate with us very closely. He will participate in every area of our operations [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 more somber aspect of his personality, behind the ebullient public persona. In both programs, he was an early casualty of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori himself does not really know what he'll do and how to spend his time after 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 globe's prestigious and glamorous events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly called Argine will be his last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event where he achieved his initial Breeders’ Cup win in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she needs to improve to compete, but few riders historically have excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, is it time for Frankie?