Frankie Dettori: What Comes Next as Racing's Greatest Icon Steps Away?

The journey has been a thrilling, magnificent and sometimes bumpy ride, yet now, it appears the famed jockey's decision is final. The most celebrated rider over the last four decades is set to head into retirement following the primary events at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar this Saturday, where he has three chances to add a farewell top-tier victory to nearly 300 already in his record. Racing may not witness a career like his ever again.

A Household Name

Together with racing great Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last half-century, “Frankie” registers with almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know his identity, even if they have absolutely no interest in his profession. In a world which has become divided by digital platforms and online networks, Dettori could be the final equestrian personality that will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition among a wide segment of the British population.

Dettori’s lifetime in the sport, in fact, goes back to a time when the show A Question Of Sport often attracted more than 10 million viewers, and his three-year role as a team leader was more than enough to establish him as the bubbly, irrepressible face of racing. His final year on the show came in 2004, which was also the time when he won the Flat jockeys’ title for a third and final time. For much of the British public, though, he has likely been the champion for many seasons since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

This is, in many respects, a hard-won celebrity, a mixed blessing for incidents both on and off the racecourse that have repeatedly pushed 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.

Back in June 2000, he was rescued from the burning wreckage of a light aircraft by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, after a crash during takeoff in which the plane’s pilot was killed. When at last concluded his pursuit for a Derby victory in 2007, that also became headline news.

And if everyone loves a winner, they frequently adore a flawed hero and a comeback even more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine could have been the finish for most jockeys in their 40s, more than enough time for owners and trainers to seek a younger replacement. For Dettori, though, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a revived partnership with trainer John Gosden in Newmarket, and a fresh succession of champions and Classic winners, including Enable, Golden Horn and Stradivarius.

Ups and Downs

The public highs and setbacks have been an essential part of his narrative, right up until the embarrassing confession in March that he filed for bankruptcy after a prolonged dispute with HMRC regarding unpaid taxes, a circumstance that Dettori tried, and failed, to keep confidential.

There have been so many twists to the tale, in fact, that it's easy to forget 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 young apprentice that he had 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 Piggott to achieve 100 wins in a season, and also marked his arrival among the elite with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same card that he would charge through unbeaten only six years later. The famous flying dismount, copied from the American legend Angel Cordero Jr, was added to his routine in 1994, and the thrill from riding a big-race winner has never left him. Nor has the gift of sensing, with something akin to 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 British racing? It will not be easy to step away completely, whether or not Dettori fulfils 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 has mentioned until now.

However, the disastrous choice to follow tax guidance that resulted in his tax issues means that Dettori will not end his career with sufficient funds in the bank to kick back and take it easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been appointed to a new position as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing operation. Dettori told racing presenter Matt Chapman on Friday this was the primary reason for his departure now, as well as being able to finish at the Breeders’ Cup. “These opportunities are rare, frequently. I appreciate the structure – it's a youthful team with huge goals,” said the rider.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new ambassador on Thursday at Del Mar. “He is an icon, a genuine legend in the sport,” Joorabchian said. “When you talk about great sportsmen like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Messis and Pelé and people like that, Frankie represents that for horse racing. When visiting Royal Ascot, you see a statue there, 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 work and he will collaborate with us very closely. He will be involved in all aspects of our business though he won't serve as a racing manager. He is a global ambassador.”

Television reality shows are another option, 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 image. In both programs, he was an early casualty due to viewer votes.

It's possible that Dettori himself does not really know what he'll do and how he will fill his time after his riding career ends. And for at least one more day, he stays an elite professional jockey, concentrating on three mounts at one of the globe's prestigious and glamorous events on the schedule.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old filly called 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 back in 1994. Her performance in Japan indicates that she has something to improve to compete, yet few jockeys historically have excelled in big moments like Frankie Dettori.

One last time, cue Frankie?