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It has been a thrilling, glorious and at times bumpy ride, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most storied jockey over the last four decades is set to head into retirement after the main card during the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three chances to add a farewell Grade One winner to his almost 300 already in his record. Racing may not see a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

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

His entire career in horse racing, after all, dates back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport often attracted over 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team captain was more than enough to cement him as the lively, irrepressible face of the sport. His last year on the program came in 2004, that was also the year when he won the top jockey award for the third and final time. For much of the British public, however, he has probably been the champion for many seasons after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for incidents both 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 defied odds of 25,000-1 to ride all seven winners that day.

In June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff in which the plane’s pilot lost his life. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that too was headline news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they often love a flawed hero and a return all the more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine would have been the end of many riders in their forties, more than enough time for trainers and owners to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 was a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of winners and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and setbacks have been a crucial element of Dettori’s story, right up until the humiliating admission in March that he filed for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and failed, to keep private.

There have been numerous turns to the tale, indeed, that it's easy to overlook that absent Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from the start as a teenage apprentice that there was a natural connection with the horses when Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also marked his arrival 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 American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Neither has the talent of sensing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to strike and where the gaps will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the public face of British racing? It will not be easy to step away completely, whether or not Dettori pursues his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. It is not, in fact, a goal that he has mentioned until now.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that led to his dispute with HMRC means that he will not end his career with enough money in the bank to kick back and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s burgeoning Amo Racing operation. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman last Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances don’t come along, very often. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador on Thursday at Del Mar. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about elite athletes like LeBron James, Currys, Lionel Messi and Pelés and similar figures, Frankie is that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize that he’s made a big impact countless lives worldwide.

“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 all aspects of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

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

It may be that Dettori himself is unsure what he'll do and how to spend his time after his race-riding days are over. And for another 24 hours at least, he stays an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three rides at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

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 initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her form at home in Japan suggests that she needs to improve to compete, yet few jockeys historically have risen to an occasion like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?