The Legendary Jockey: What Comes Next as Racing's Greatest Icon Exits the Stage?

The journey has been an exhilarating, magnificent and sometimes bumpy ride, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most celebrated jockey of the past four decades is set to enter retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Saturday, where he has three opportunities to add a farewell Grade One winner to his almost 300 already in his record. Racing may not see a career like his ever again.

A Household Name

Together with racing great Lester Piggott and perhaps John McCririck over the past 50 years, “Frankie” registers with pretty much everyone, no surname required. The public knows his identity, even if they have no interest at all in what he does. In a world which has become fragmented by social media and online networks, Dettori could 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 horse racing, in fact, goes back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in more than 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team captain was sufficient to establish him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of the sport. His final year on the show came in 2004, which was also the year when he won the top jockey award for the third and final time. As far as many in the UK, however, he has likely been the champion for many seasons after that.

A Hard-Won Celebrity

It is, in many respects, a hard-earned fame, a double-edged reward for events both on and off the track that have repeatedly pushed 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 on the card.

Back in June 2000, he was pulled from the burning wreckage of a light aircraft by fellow jockey, Ray Cochrane, after a crash on takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When at last ended his quest for a Derby victory in 2007, that too was front-page news.

And if everyone loves a champion, they often love a flawed hero and a comeback even more. A half-year suspension after a failed drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for most jockeys in their 40s, plenty of time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, though, suspension in December 2012 was a bridge to a renewed association with John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of winners and classic victors, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and setbacks were a crucial element of his narrative, 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 situation that he attempted, and did not succeed, to keep private.

There were so many twists to the tale, in fact, that it's easy to overlook that absent his tremendous, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Natural Ability

It was evident from his earliest days as a teenage apprentice that there was an instinctive rapport with the horses whenever Dettori was in the saddle.

Horses ran for him, and improved for him. Back in 1990, he was the first teenager since Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also announced his arrival at the highest level with two Group One wins at Ascot, on the same day that he would dominate without a loss just six years later. His iconic flying dismount, adopted from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was incorporated into his routine in 1994, and the buzz from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Nor has the gift of knowing, with almost foresight, where to sit, when to make a move and where openings will emerge.

What Comes Next?

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

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

New Role and Opportunities

He has been confirmed in a new role as a “global ambassador” with the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian's growing Amo Racing enterprise. He explained to Matt Chapman on At The Races last Friday this was the primary reason for his exit 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 personally, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When discussing elite athletes such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelé and similar figures, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When you go into Royal Ascot, you notice a statue, you know 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 working with us very closely. He will be involved in every area of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Reality TV is another possibility, though previous appearances on Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have tended to reveal a more somber aspect of his personality, behind the ebullient public persona. In both programs, he was an early exit of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori himself is unsure what he will do and how to spend his time once his race-riding days ends. And for another 24 hours at least, he remains a top-level professional jockey, focused on three rides at one of the most prestigious and dazzling events in the calendar.

The Final Ride

A five-year-old filly named Argine will be Dettori’s last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event in which he registered his initial Breeders’ Cup win in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she has something to improve to compete, yet few jockeys in history have ever risen to an occasion like Lanfranco Dettori.

For one final time, cue Frankie?