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The journey has been a thrilling, glorious and at times rocky path, yet now, it seems the famed jockey's mind is made up. The most celebrated rider over the last 40 years will effectively head into retirement following the primary events during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three chances to secure one last top-tier victory to his almost 300 on his record already. Racing may not see a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past 50 years, “Frankie” registers with pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. People know his identity, even if they possess absolutely no interest in what he does. In a world which has become fragmented by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality that will ever experience such immediate brand recognition across a broad swathe of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, in fact, goes back to an era when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and a three-year stint as a team captain was sufficient to cement him as the lively, irrepressible face of the sport. His last year on the show was 2004, which was also the time when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and final time. As far as much of the British public, however, he has likely been the top jockey in most years since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing for incidents on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori into the headlines, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to ride all seven winners on the card.

In June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When at last ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

While everyone admires a champion, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a comeback even more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for many riders in their 40s, plenty of time for owners and trainers to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, however, his 2012 suspension was a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and classic victors, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and lows have been a crucial element of Dettori’s story, right up until the embarrassing confession this past March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep confidential.

There were numerous turns in his story, indeed, that it can be easy to overlook that absent his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

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

Steeds performed for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also marked his arrival among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would charge without a loss just six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the buzz from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to sit, when to strike and where the gaps will emerge.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the public face of British racing? It won't be simple to finally let go, whether or not Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that he always wanted to experience”. This is not, after all, an ambition that he had mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that led to his tax issues means that Dettori will not end his career with sufficient funds in the bank to relax and take it easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has already been appointed to a new position as a “global ambassador” with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's growing Amo Racing operation. 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. “These opportunities don’t come along, very often. I like the set-up – this is a young team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, he is a true legend in the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about great sportsmen like 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 has influenced on so many lives across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he’s here to actually work and he will collaborate with us very closely. He will be involved in every area of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Reality TV are another option, though previous appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … have tended to reveal a moodier side of his personality, behind the ebullient public image. On both shows, he was an early exit of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori himself is unsure what he will do and how to spend his time after his race-riding days are over. And for at least one more day, he remains an elite professional jockey, focused on three mounts at one of the globe's prestigious and glamorous events in the calendar.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare called Argine will be Dettori’s final Grade One mount 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 Frankie Dettori.

One last time, is it time for Frankie?