Sporting Life
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Daryl Jacob returns to race riding on My Percy at Gowran Park

By Daryl Jacob
15:42 · WED October 02, 2024

Daryl Jacob is looking forward to a return to race-riding in Ireland this Friday - the Grand National-winning jockey gives us the latest on his recovery.

I'll be riding My Percy in the maiden hurdle at Gowran Park on Friday and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm excited to be back as the last month since I started riding out again has gone incredibly well.

Rehab has been very, very good and I've done a lot of riding out at Harry Derham's, Paul Nicholls' and Tom Symonds' yard as well. I've also had a couple of stints riding out over in Ireland and I'm feeling really refreshed.

I'm hugely excited to be coming back this year as we've got some beautiful young horses and just in terms of getting to this point, I've got so many people to thank, above all my wife for putting up with me during all the time I've been miserable at home and out of action!

But I do need to thank Michael Caulfield, the sports psychologist, as I really did struggle at first with my injury and what it might mean for me. So he's helped me a lot and I also owe a considerable debt of gratitude to Rob and Anna and all the team at Oaksey House who have assisted with my recuperation and physiotherapy.

The physio doesn't get any easier as you get older, I can assure you, but it feels great when you get to this stage and I'm ready to race-ride again which, in all honesty, wasn't guaranteed at all at one point.

So I'm extremely grateful and the same applies with Simon (Munir), Isaac (Souede) and Anthony (Bromley) too for their loyalty and continued support throughout a challenging time.

Mr Percy feels like a good young horse on the gallops, he beat Winter Fog on the Flat and we'll take that form with a pinch of salt but he showed a good attitude on the soft ground that day and looks like a strong stayer.

He's a nice jumper by all accounts and Gowran is a great track. It'd be nice to ride a winner there as it's something I've never done but haven't had that many rides there over the years - only three or four and I've had a second and a third.

Between England and Ireland I hope to have a good bunch of quality horses to ride this season and I'm looking forward riding at Kelso or Uttoxeter this Sunday with a bit of luck.

So it's all systems go and I'm just delighted to be back race-riding again.

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