🔗 Share this article

It has been an exhilarating, magnificent and sometimes rocky path, yet now, it seems the famed jockey's mind is made up. The most celebrated jockey of the past 40 years will effectively head into retirement after the main card during the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three opportunities to add a farewell top-tier victory to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not see a career quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last half-century, Frankie Dettori is recognized by pretty much everyone, without needing a last name. The public knows his identity, even if they possess absolutely no interest in his profession. In a world that has been 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 Britain's people.

His entire career in the sport, after all, 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 more than enough to cement him as the lively, unforgettable figure of the sport. His final year on the show came in 2004, that was also the time when he won the top jockey award for a third and final time. As far as many in the UK, though, he has probably been the champion in most years after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

This is, in many ways, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing for events on and off the track that have repeatedly pushed Dettori onto the front pages, since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he defied massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners that day.

In June 2000, he was rescued from a fiery crash of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on takeoff in which the plane’s pilot lost his life. When at last ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that too was headline news.

While everyone admires a champion, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a comeback all the more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for most jockeys in their forties, more than enough time for trainers and owners to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 was a bridge to a renewed association with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of winners and classic victors, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and lows have been an essential part of Dettori’s story, right up until the embarrassing confession this past March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with tax authorities over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep confidential.

There have been so many twists in his story, in fact, that it's easy to forget that absent Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

It was clear from the start as a teenage apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport with the horses when Dettori was on board.

Steeds performed for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also announced his arrival among the elite with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate through unbeaten only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the buzz from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Neither has the talent of sensing, with something akin to clairvoyance, where to position, when to make a move and where openings will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the recognizable figure of UK horse racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, regardless if Dettori pursues his apparent desire to take “a few rides in South America, which is something I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, after all, a goal that he had mentioned until now.

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that resulted in 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 appointed to a new position as a “global ambassador” with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's burgeoning 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 finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, very often. I like the set-up – it's a youthful team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new ambassador on Thursday at Del Mar. “He’s an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing great sportsmen like LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelés and people like that, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you know that he’s made a big impact countless lives across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he's here to work and he will be working 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 is another possibility, 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 persona. On both shows, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori himself is unsure what he'll do and how he will fill his time once his race-riding days are over. And for another 24 hours at least, 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 filly called Argine will be his final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event in which he registered his first Breeders’ Cup success in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates 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?