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The journey has been an exhilarating, magnificent and sometimes bumpy ride, but this time, it seems Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most celebrated rider over the last four decades will effectively head into retirement after the main card at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar this Saturday, when he will have three chances to add a farewell top-tier victory to nearly 300 on his record already. The sport might not see a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Together with racing great Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past 50 years, Frankie Dettori is recognized by pretty much everyone, no surname required. The public knows who he is, even if they have 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 who will ever enjoy such instant name-recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

His entire career in horse racing, in fact, dates back to an era when the show A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team leader was more than enough to cement him as the lively, irrepressible face of the sport. His final year on the program was 2004, which was also the time when he secured the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and final time. For many in the UK, however, he has likely been the top jockey for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

This is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for incidents on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori onto the front pages, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races on the card.

In June 2000, he was rescued from the burning wreckage of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, following an accident during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot lost his life. When at last ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became front-page news.

While everyone admires a winner, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a comeback even more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine would 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 renewed association with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of winners and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The celebrated successes and lows were a crucial element of Dettori’s story, right up until the embarrassing confession in March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep private.

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 be no story at all.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was clear from the start as a teenage apprentice that there was an instinctive rapport between horse and rider when Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. In 1990, he became the first teen since Lester Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also marked his emergence among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would dominate 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 thrill from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with almost clairvoyance, where to position, when to strike and where openings will appear.

The Future Ahead

But what now for the public face of British racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, whether or not Dettori pursues his expressed wish to accept some mounts in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to experience”. It is not, in fact, a goal that he has mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that led to his tax issues indicates that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with enough money in the bank to relax and take things easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's growing Amo Racing operation. Dettori told Matt Chapman on At The Races on Friday this was the primary reason for his exit now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, frequently. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing elite athletes such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelés and similar figures, Frankie represents that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, 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 actually work and he will collaborate with us closely. He will participate in every area of our operations though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Television reality shows is another possibility, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity often showed a more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public image. In both programs, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori personally is unsure what he'll do and how to spend his time once his race-riding days are over. And for at least 24 hours at least, he stays a top-level professional jockey, focused on three mounts at one of the most prestigious and dazzling events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare named Argine will be his 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 in Japan suggests that she needs to find to figure, yet few jockeys in history have ever risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?