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It has been a thrilling, magnificent and sometimes bumpy ride, yet now, it appears Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most celebrated rider of the past 40 years is set to enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three chances to secure one last Grade One winner to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not witness a career like his ever again.

A Household Name

Together with racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck in the last 50 years, “Frankie” registers with pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. The public knows who he is, even if they possess absolutely no interest in what he does. In a world which has become divided by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori could be the last racing figure that will ever experience such immediate brand recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

His entire career in horse racing, after all, dates back to a time when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and his three-year role as a team captain was sufficient to establish him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of racing. His last year on the program was 2004, which was also the year when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and final time. As far as many in the UK, though, he has probably been the top jockey in most years after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for events on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori onto the front pages, since the unforgettable afternoon 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 rescued from the burning wreckage of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, following an accident during takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that too was front-page news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they frequently adore an imperfect hero and a return even more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine would have been the end of most jockeys in their forties, more than enough time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and classic victors, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The public highs and setbacks were an essential part of his narrative, up to and including the humiliating admission this past March that he filed for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There were so many twists to the tale, in fact, that it can be easy to overlook that absent Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

It was clear from his earliest days as a teenage apprentice that there was a natural connection between horse and rider whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. In 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also marked his arrival at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge without a loss just six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has never left him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to strike and where the gaps will emerge.

The Future Ahead

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

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that resulted in his tax issues indicates that he will not end his career with sufficient funds in the bank to kick back and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing operation. He explained to Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the main reason for his departure now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances don’t come along, very often. I appreciate the structure – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments 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 elite athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie represents that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you realize that he has influenced on so many lives worldwide.

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

Reality TV are another option, although earlier outings on Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity often showed a moodier side 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 personally is unsure 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, concentrating on three rides at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events in the calendar.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old filly called Argine will be Dettori’s final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event where he achieved his first Breeders’ Cup success back in 1994. Her form at home in Japan suggests that she has something to improve to compete, yet few jockeys historically have excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, is it time for Frankie?