🔗 Share this article

It has been a thrilling, glorious and sometimes bumpy ride, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's mind is made up. The most storied jockey over the last 40 years is set to head into retirement after the main card at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three chances to secure one last top-tier victory to his almost 300 already in his record. The sport might not witness a career quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck over the past half-century, “Frankie” is recognized by almost everybody, no surname required. People know his identity, even if they have absolutely no interest in what he does. In today's world which has become divided by social media and online networks, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality who will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, after all, goes back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in over 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team captain was more than enough to establish him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of the sport. His last year on the program was 2004, that was also the year when he secured the Flat jockeys’ title for the third and last occasion. For many in the UK, however, he has probably been the top jockey for many seasons after that.

A Hard-Earned Fame

This is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for events both on and off the track which have often propelled Dettori onto the front pages, ever since that memorable day 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 pulled from a fiery crash of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff where the pilot was killed. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that too was front-page news.

While everyone admires a champion, they often love a flawed hero and a return even more. A six-month ban after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the end of many riders in their forties, more than enough time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, his 2012 suspension was a bridge to a renewed association with 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 have been a crucial element of his narrative, right up until the embarrassing confession this past March that he was filing for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep private.

There were so many twists to the tale, in fact, that it's easy to overlook that without Dettori’s immense, generational talent, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

It was evident from his earliest days as a young apprentice that he had a natural connection between horse and rider when Dettori was on board.

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. In 1990, he became the first teen 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 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 buzz from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Nor has the gift of sensing, with almost clairvoyance, where to sit, when to make a move and where openings will appear.

The Future Ahead

But what next for the recognizable figure of UK horse racing? It won't be simple to step away completely, whether or not Dettori pursues his apparent desire to accept some mounts in South America, something that he always wanted to experience”. It is not, after all, a goal that he has mentioned previously.

But the calamitous decision to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues indicates that Dettori will not end his career with sufficient funds in the bank to relax and take things easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has already been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian's growing Amo Racing enterprise. Dettori told Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the main reason for his departure now, along with the chance to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances are rare, very often. I appreciate the structure – this is a young team with big ambitions,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He’s an icon, he is a true legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing elite athletes like LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you know that he has influenced countless lives across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to amuse audiences, he’s here to actually work and he will be working with us closely. He will participate in all aspects of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is an international ambassador.”

Television reality shows is another possibility, though previous appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity often showed a moodier side of his personality, behind the ebullient public image. In both programs, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori himself is unsure 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 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 mare named Argine will be Dettori’s last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event where he achieved his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she has something to improve to compete, but few riders in history have ever excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?