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The journey has been an exhilarating, magnificent and sometimes rocky path, but this time, it seems the famed jockey's decision is final. The most storied rider of the past 40 years will effectively head into retirement after the main card during the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three opportunities to secure one last Grade One winner to his almost 300 on his record already. The sport might not witness a career like his ever again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past half-century, “Frankie” registers with pretty much everyone, no surname required. People know who he is, even if they possess absolutely no interest in what he does. In a world which has become fragmented by social media and online networks, Dettori may well be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition among a wide segment of Britain's people.

His entire career in the sport, after all, dates back to an era when A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million audience members, and his three-year role as a team captain was more than enough to establish him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of racing. His final year on the show was 2004, which was also the time when he secured the top jockey award for the third and final time. As far as many in the UK, though, he has likely been the top jockey in most years after that.

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 that have repeatedly propelled Dettori into the headlines, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners that day.

Back in June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was headline news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a return all the more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for most jockeys in their 40s, more than enough 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 trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a new series of winners and classic victors, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The public highs and setbacks were an essential part of Dettori’s story, up to and including the humiliating admission in March that he filed for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There were numerous turns in his story, indeed, that it can be easy to overlook that without his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

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

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in one season, and also marked his emergence 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 incorporated into his routine in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with something akin to foresight, where to sit, when to make a move and where openings will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the recognizable figure of British racing? It will not be easy to step away completely, whether or not Dettori pursues his apparent desire to take “a few rides in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, in fact, a goal that he had mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to accept the tax advice that resulted in his dispute with HMRC means that he will not draw down the curtain with enough money in the bank to relax and take things easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the football super-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 departure now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, very often. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, 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,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing elite athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie is that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you know that he has influenced on so many lives across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to entertain people, he's here to work and he will collaborate with us very closely. He will be involved in every area of our business [but] he won’t be 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 more somber aspect of his personality, behind the ebullient public image. In both programs, he was an early casualty of the public vote.

It's possible that Dettori himself does not really know what he will do and how to spend his time after his race-riding days ends. And for at least 24 hours at least, he stays a top-level professional jockey, concentrating 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 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 performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she needs to improve to compete, yet few jockeys in history have ever risen to an occasion like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?