Daryl Jacob

Fresh from retiring at the top of his game, the Grand National-winning jockey tells Kate Johnson about his favourite horses, an affinity with greys and his decision to call it a day

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THE relentless rollercoaster of a jockey's life is no better illustrated than Daryl Jacob's last few months before he retired from National Hunt racing at the end of December.

In November, he partnered Ottizzini to a nine-length victory in the handicap hurdle at Ayr and claimed his 1,000th win. He says of the milestone, "It's a very difficult thing to do, with the travel, injuries and dedication.

"I have made huge sacrifices and I wanted to achieve this landmark."

Then less than 48 hours later, an accident while riding out at Henry de Bromhead's yard resulted in a broken collarbone, "out to the AC joint" (the shoulder to the rest of us - like any jockey, he has suffered enough injuries to talk like a seasoned medic) and needed a plate fitted. The surgeon advised two to three months off. Daryl advised that he needed to be back on a racecourse in just over five weeks. No prizes for guessing who won that debate.

"Make sure it's bulletproof," Daryl told him. "I'll do the rest."

The surgeon later joked he'd added a few extra screws for him.

Racing took the inevitable toll on his body and, at the age of 41, the end of the racing road must have been visible, but there was another reason why he called it quits. He's ridden for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede (known as the "Double Greens" due to their colours) for over a decade. "What really made me think was that I unfortunately injured one of Simon's horses, It's For Me, in a novice chase at Leopardstown on 27 December," he says.

The six-year-old went off as favourite, but Daryl pulled him up before the third.