🔗 Share this article

It has been an exhilarating, magnificent and sometimes rocky path, yet now, it appears the famed jockey's mind is made up. The most storied jockey of the past four decades will effectively enter retirement after the main card at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three chances to add a farewell Grade One winner to nearly 300 on his record already. Racing may not witness a career quite like it again.

An Iconic Figure

Together with racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck in the last 50 years, “Frankie” is recognized by pretty much everyone, no surname required. The public knows who he is, even if they possess no interest at all in what he does. In a world that has been divided by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori may well be the last racing figure that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition among a wide segment of Britain's people.

His entire career in the sport, after all, goes back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in over 10 million audience members, and a three-year stint as a team captain was sufficient to establish him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of racing. His final year on the program was 2004, which was also the time when he won the top jockey award for the third and final time. As far as much of the British public, however, he has probably been the top jockey for many seasons since.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many ways, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing for events on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori into the headlines, ever since that memorable day at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame odds of 25,000-1 to ride all seven winners that day.

Back in June 2000, he was pulled from a fiery crash of a small plane by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When at last ended his quest 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 six-month ban following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for many riders in their 40s, plenty of time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, suspension in December 2012 served as a bridge to a renewed association with John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The celebrated successes and setbacks were a crucial element of his narrative, right up until the humiliating admission this past March that he was filing for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with tax authorities regarding unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There were numerous turns to the tale, in fact, that it's easy to forget that without his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

It was clear from the start as a young apprentice that there was a natural connection between horse and rider whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

Steeds performed for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to achieve 100 wins in a season, and also marked his emergence at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same day that he would charge without a loss just 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 never left him. Neither has the talent of sensing, with almost clairvoyance, where to sit, when to strike and where the gaps 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, regardless if Dettori pursues his expressed wish to accept some mounts in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, in fact, an ambition that he has mentioned until now.

However, the disastrous choice to accept the tax advice that led to his tax issues indicates that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with enough money in the bank to kick back and take it easy.

New Role and Opportunities

He has been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the football super-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 exit now, as well as being able to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities don’t come along, frequently. I like the set-up – this is a young team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, he is a true legend of the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about elite athletes such as LeBron James, Currys, Messis and Pelé and people like that, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, 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 work and he will be working with us closely. He will be involved in all aspects 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 Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity … have tended to reveal a more somber aspect to Dettori’s character, beneath the cheerful public persona. 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 once his race-riding days are over. And for another 24 hours at least, he stays an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three rides at one of the most prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare called Argine will be Dettori’s final Grade One mount in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the same race where he achieved his first Breeders’ Cup success in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she has something to find to figure, but few riders in history have ever risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?