The Legendary Jockey: What Comes Next as Racing's Biggest Star Steps Away?

It has been an exhilarating, magnificent and at times bumpy ride, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most celebrated jockey of the past four decades is set to head into retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar this Saturday, where he has 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

Alongside Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last 50 years, “Frankie” is recognized by almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know his identity, even if they have no interest at all in what he does. In today's world that has been divided by digital platforms and the internet, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality who will ever experience such immediate name-recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in horse racing, in fact, goes back to a time when A Question Of Sport often attracted over 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team captain was sufficient to cement him as the bubbly, unforgettable figure of racing. His final year on the program came in 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, though, he has likely been the top jockey in most years since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

This is, in many ways, a hard-earned fame, a mixed blessing for events both on and off the racecourse which have often propelled Dettori into the headlines, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he defied massive 25,000-1 odds to win all seven races on the card.

In June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, following an accident during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When he finally concluded his pursuit for a Derby winner in 2007, that too was front-page news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a return even more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine would have been the finish for many riders in their 40s, plenty of time for trainers and owners to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden at Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and Classic winners, such as Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Public Highs and Lows

The celebrated successes and setbacks have been a crucial element of Dettori’s story, up to and including the humiliating admission in March that he filed for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and did not succeed, to keep confidential.

There have been so many twists in his story, indeed, that it's easy to overlook that absent his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would have been no story at all.

Natural Ability

It was clear from his earliest days as a young apprentice that there was a natural connection with the horses when Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and got better under him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to reach 100 winners in a season, and also marked his arrival at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge without a loss just six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the US legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into Dettori’s repertoire in 1994, and the thrill from winning major races has never left him. Neither has the talent of knowing, with almost clairvoyance, where to sit, when to make a move and where the gaps will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what now for the public face of UK horse racing? It won't be simple to finally let go, regardless if Dettori pursues his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, something that I’ve always wanted to experience”. This is not, in fact, a goal that he had mentioned until now.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues means that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with sufficient funds saved up to kick back and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has already been confirmed in a new role 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 main reason for his departure now, along with the chance to conclude at the Breeders’ Cup. “Such chances don’t come along, frequently. I appreciate the structure – it's a youthful team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian personally, was gushing in his praise for his new recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, a genuine legend of the sport,” he stated. “When you talk about great sportsmen like LeBron James, Currys, Lionel Messi and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie represents that to horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you realize that he has influenced countless lives worldwide.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to entertain people, he's here to work and he will be collaborate with us very closely. He will participate in every area of our business [but] he won’t be a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Reality TV is another possibility, though previous appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity often showed a moodier side of his personality, beneath the cheerful public persona. On both shows, he was an early exit due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori himself is unsure what he'll do and how to spend his time once his riding career ends. And for another one more day, he stays an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three rides 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 in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win back in 1994. Her form at home in Japan suggests that she needs to find to figure, but few riders historically have excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

For one final time, is it time for Frankie?