'I've made a million mistakes' - Frankie Dettori recalls the highs and lows of his extraordinary career in a straight-talking interview

His name was Frankie. He was a jockey. 

Not, however, just any jockey. From a stunning spot by Copacabana beach, there is an extraordinary story to be told, one filled with remarkable achievement, incredible drama, soaring highs and devastating lows. Frankie Dettori, for most of his 40-year career indisputably the most famous jockey in the world and arguably also the very best, tells that story with a level of honesty and passion that continues to make it completely captivating.

It finished on a humid night in an unlikely setting far from the hallowed stages on which his fame was founded. Instead of signing off at Ascot, Longchamp or Santa Anita, Dettori retired from the saddle on a sultry Sunday in Rio, where there were two more winners, two more flying dismounts and a reminder of the rare brilliance that made him a star far beyond his sport.