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It has been a thrilling, magnificent and sometimes bumpy ride, yet now, it seems the famed jockey's mind is made up. The most storied jockey of the past 40 years will effectively head into retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three opportunities to add a farewell top-tier victory to nearly 300 already in his record. Racing may not witness a career quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past half-century, Frankie Dettori is recognized by pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. People know who he is, even if they possess no interest at all in what he does. In a world which has become divided by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori could be the last racing figure who will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition among a wide segment of Britain's people.

His entire career in the sport, in fact, goes back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million audience members, and a three-year stint as a team captain was more than enough to establish him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of the sport. His last year on the program was 2004, which was also the time when he secured the top jockey award for the third and final time. For many in the UK, though, he has probably been the champion in most years since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for events both on and off the track which have often propelled Dettori into the headlines, since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races that day.

Back in June 2000, he was pulled from a fiery crash of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on takeoff where the pilot lost his life. When at last concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that too was headline news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they often love an imperfect hero and a comeback all the more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the end of most jockeys in their forties, plenty of time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a revived partnership with John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of winners and classic victors, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The public highs and lows have been a crucial element of his narrative, up to and including the humiliating admission in March that he was filing for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There were so many twists in his story, in fact, that it can be easy to overlook that without his tremendous, generational talent, there would be no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from the start as a teenage apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport between horse and rider whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

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 marked his arrival among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate without a loss only six years later. The famous flying dismount, adopted from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire 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 make a move and where openings will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the recognizable figure of UK horse racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, regardless if Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to do”. This is not, in fact, an ambition that he has mentioned previously.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that led to his tax issues indicates that Dettori will not end his career with sufficient funds in the bank to kick back and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. Dettori told Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the main reason for his exit now, as well as being able to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances are rare, very often. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about elite athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelés and people like that, Frankie represents that to horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you know that he has influenced on so many lives across the world.

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

Television reality shows are another option, though previous appearances on Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity often showed a more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public persona. In both programs, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

It may be 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 one more day, he remains a top-level 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 named Argine will be his 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 in Japan suggests that she has something to find to figure, but few riders in history have ever risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?