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It has been a thrilling, glorious and at times bumpy ride, yet now, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied rider over the last four decades is set to head into retirement after the main card at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, when he will have three opportunities to add a farewell top-tier victory to his almost 300 on his record already. Racing may not witness a career like his ever again.

A Household Name

Together with racing great Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past 50 years, “Frankie” is recognized by pretty much everyone, no surname required. The public knows his identity, even if they possess absolutely no interest in his profession. In a world which has become divided by social media and online networks, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality who will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, after all, goes back to a time when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team leader was sufficient to establish him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of the sport. His final year on the show came in 2004, that was also the year when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and last occasion. As far as much of the British public, however, he has probably been the champion for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many ways, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for incidents both on and off the track which have often pushed Dettori onto the front pages, 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 rescued from a fiery crash of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that too was headline news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they often love a flawed hero and a return even more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine would have been the end of many riders in their forties, plenty of time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, his 2012 suspension was a bridge to a revived partnership 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 celebrated successes and lows were an essential part of his narrative, up to and including the humiliating admission this past March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and failed, to keep confidential.

There were numerous turns in his story, in fact, that it's easy to forget that without Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

It was evident from the start as a teenage apprentice that he had a natural connection with the horses when Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in one season, and also marked his emergence at the highest level with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would charge through unbeaten only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into his routine in 1994, and the buzz from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to sit, when to make a move and where the gaps will emerge.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the recognizable figure of UK horse racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, whether or not Dettori fulfils his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, which is something he always wanted to do”. This is not, after all, an ambition that he had mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that led to his dispute with HMRC indicates that he will not end his career with sufficient funds saved up to relax and take things easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's growing Amo Racing enterprise. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman last Friday this was the primary reason for his departure now, as well as being able to finish 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,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about elite athletes such as LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie represents that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you know that he’s made a big impact countless 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 be involved in all aspects of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Reality TV is another possibility, though previous appearances on Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … have tended to reveal a more somber aspect of his personality, behind the ebullient public persona. In both programs, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori himself does not really know what he'll do and how to spend his time after his race-riding days ends. And for another 24 hours at least, he remains an elite professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the globe's prestigious and dazzling events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly named Argine will be Dettori’s final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race in which he registered his first Breeders’ Cup success back in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she needs to find to figure, but few riders in history have ever excelled in big moments like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?