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The journey has been a thrilling, magnificent and at times rocky path, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most celebrated jockey of the past four decades will effectively enter retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three chances to secure one last top-tier victory to nearly 300 on his record already. Racing may not witness a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Together with racing great Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last 50 years, “Frankie” registers with pretty much everyone, no surname required. The public knows his identity, even if they have absolutely no interest in his profession. In a world which has become fragmented by social media and online networks, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality 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 over 10 million audience members, and a three-year stint as a team captain was more than enough to cement him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of racing. His last year on the show was 2004, which was also the year when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and final time. For much of the British public, however, he has likely been the top jockey in most years after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for events on and off the racecourse which have often pushed Dettori onto the front pages, ever since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races that day.

In June 2000, he was rescued from the burning wreckage of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was front-page news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they often love a flawed hero and a return even more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for most jockeys in their 40s, plenty of time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a revived partnership with John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of winners and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The celebrated successes and lows were a crucial element of his narrative, up to and including the embarrassing confession in March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There were so many twists in his story, indeed, that it's easy to forget that without Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from the start as a teenage apprentice that he had a natural connection between horse and rider when Dettori was on board.

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 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 just six years later. The famous flying dismount, adopted from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into his routine in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with almost foresight, where to sit, when to strike and where the gaps will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the recognizable figure of British racing? It won't be simple to finally let go, regardless if Dettori pursues his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to do”. It is not, in fact, an ambition that he had mentioned until now.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that led to his tax issues means that he will not draw down the curtain with sufficient funds in the bank to kick back and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s burgeoning Amo Racing operation. He explained to Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the primary 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 huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, a genuine legend in 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 for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you realize that he’s made a big impact on so many lives worldwide.

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

Television reality shows are another option, 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. On both shows, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori himself is unsure what he will do and how to spend his time once his race-riding days ends. And for at least one more day, he remains a top-level professional jockey, focused on three mounts at one of the most prestigious and dazzling events on the schedule.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old mare called 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 in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she has something to improve to compete, but few riders in history have ever excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?