Frankie Dettori: What Comes Next as Horse Racing's Biggest Star Steps Away?

The journey has been a thrilling, glorious and at times bumpy ride, yet now, it seems Frankie Dettori's decision is final. The most celebrated jockey over the last 40 years will effectively enter retirement after the main card during the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar on Saturday, when he will have three opportunities to add a farewell Grade One winner to nearly 300 already in his record. The sport might not see a career quite like it again.

A Household Name

Together with Lester Piggott and maybe John McCririck in the last half-century, Frankie Dettori is recognized by almost everybody, without needing a last name. People know who he is, even if they have absolutely no interest in what he does. In today's world which has become fragmented by social media and online networks, Dettori could be the last racing figure who will ever enjoy such instant brand recognition across a broad swathe of Britain's people.

His entire career in horse racing, after all, dates back to a time when A Question Of Sport regularly pulled in over 10 million viewers, and a three-year stint as a team leader was sufficient to cement him as the lively, irrepressible face of racing. His last year on the program 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, though, he has probably been the champion in most years since.

A Hard-Earned Fame

It is, in many ways, a hard-won celebrity, a double-edged reward for incidents on and off the track which have often pushed Dettori into the headlines, ever since the unforgettable afternoon at Ascot in 1996 when he overcame massive 25,000-1 odds to ride all seven winners that day.

Back in June 2000, he was rescued from the burning wreckage of a small plane by his fellow rider, Ray Cochrane, following an accident on takeoff where the pilot lost his life. When he finally ended his quest for a Derby winner in 2007, that also became headline news.

While everyone admires a winner, they often love an imperfect hero and a comeback all the more. A half-year suspension following a positive drug test for cocaine would have been the end of many riders in their 40s, plenty of time for owners and trainers to find a younger alternative. For Dettori, however, his 2012 suspension served as a bridge to a renewed association with John Gosden in Newmarket, and a new series of champions and Classic winners, such as 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 in March that he was filing for bankruptcy following a long-standing disagreement with HMRC over unpaid taxes, a situation that Dettori tried, 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 Dettori’s immense, once-in-a-generation skill, there would be no narrative whatsoever.

Early Talent and Instincts

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. In 1990, he became the first teen since Lester Piggott to reach 100 winners in one season, and also announced his emergence at the highest level with a Group One double at Ascot, on the same day that he would charge without a loss 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 buzz from riding a big-race winner has always stayed with him. Nor has the gift of sensing, with almost clairvoyance, where to position, when to strike and where openings will appear.

What Comes Next?

But what next for the recognizable figure of British racing? It will not be easy to finally let go, regardless if Dettori fulfils his expressed wish to take “a few rides in South America, something that he always wanted to do”. It is not, in fact, a goal that he had mentioned until now.

But the calamitous decision to accept the tax advice that led to his dispute with HMRC means that Dettori will not draw down the curtain with sufficient funds saved up to kick back and take things easy.

Fresh Ventures

He has been confirmed in a new role as an international ambassador with the soccer agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing Amo Racing operation. He explained to racing presenter Matt Chapman 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, very often. I appreciate the structure – it's a youthful team with big ambitions,” explained the jockey.

Joorabchian, himself, was effusive in his compliments for his new recruit at Del Mar on Thursday. “He is an icon, he is a true legend in the sport,” he stated. “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 notice a statue, you realize that he’s made a big impact countless lives across the world.

“He’s not here|“He isn't here} to entertain people, he’s here to actually work and he will be collaborate with us closely. He will participate in every area of our operations 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 often showed a more somber aspect of his personality, beneath the cheerful public persona. In both programs, he was an early casualty of the public vote.

It may be that Dettori personally is unsure what he will do and how he will fill his time after his riding career ends. And for another 24 hours at least, he stays a top-level professional jockey, concentrating on three rides at one of the most prestigious and dazzling events in the calendar.

One Last Mount

A five-year-old mare called Argine will be his last top-level ride in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the identical event where he achieved his first Breeders’ Cup success in 1994. Her performance in Japan in Japan suggests that she has something to improve to compete, yet few jockeys historically have risen to an occasion like Frankie Dettori.

One last time, is it time for Frankie?