🔗 Share this article

The journey has been an exhilarating, magnificent and at times rocky path, but this time, it seems the famed jockey's decision is final. The most celebrated rider of the past 40 years is set to enter retirement after the main card at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three chances to secure one last Grade One winner to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not witness a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Together with Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last half-century, “Frankie” is recognized by almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know who he is, even if they have absolutely no interest in what he does. In a world that has been fragmented by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, after all, dates back to a time when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in over 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team captain was more than enough to cement him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of racing. His final year on the program was 2004, that was also the year when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and final time. For much of the British public, however, he has probably been the top jockey for many seasons after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for events both on and off the racecourse which have often pushed Dettori into the headlines, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied odds of 25,000-1 to win all seven races that day.

In June 2000, he was pulled from a fiery crash of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff where the pilot lost his life. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby victory in 2007, that also became front-page news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a comeback all the more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the end of most jockeys in their 40s, more than enough time for trainers and owners to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of winners and classic victors, including 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 embarrassing confession this past March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There were so many twists in his story, in fact, that it can be easy to forget that without his tremendous, generational talent, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was evident from the start as a young apprentice that he had an instinctive rapport between horse and rider whenever Dettori was on board.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he became the first teen since Piggott to achieve 100 wins in one season, and also announced his emergence among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate without a loss just six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to Dettori’s repertoire 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 position, when to make a move and where openings will emerge.

The Future Ahead

But what now for the recognizable figure of UK horse racing? It will not be easy to step away completely, regardless if Dettori pursues his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, after all, an ambition that he had mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues indicates that he will not end his career with enough money in the bank to relax and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has already been appointed to a new position as a “global ambassador” with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s burgeoning Amo Racing enterprise. He explained to Matt Chapman on At The Races on Friday this was the main reason for his departure now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, frequently. I appreciate the structure – it's a youthful team with huge goals,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments 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 great sportsmen like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie is that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, you know that he’s made a big impact on so many lives across the world.

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

Reality TV are another option, although earlier outings on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … have tended to reveal a more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, behind the ebullient public image. On both shows, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori personally is unsure what he will do and how he will fill his time after his race-riding days ends. And for at least 24 hours at least, he stays an elite professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly named Argine will be his final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race where he achieved his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her form at home indicates that she has something to improve to compete, but few riders historically have excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

One last time, is it time for Frankie?