Davy Russell makes surprise announcement to come out of retirement

11 January 2023 , 22:38

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Short retirement: Jockey Davy Russell will be back riding at Fairyhouse on Saturday after less than four weeks away (Image: PA)

Davy Russell has made the shock announcement he is to come out of retirement less than four weeks after quitting the sport.

The 43-year-old, who stepped down on December 18, has performed a u-turn in order to cover for Jack Kennedy while the leader in the Irish jump jockeys’ championship is on the sidelines with a broken leg.

Kennedy could be out for several weeks after breaking his leg for the fifth time in a fall on Sunday, although his boss Gordon Elliott was confident he would be fit for the Cheltenham Festival.

Nevertheless with a number of key races and the Dublin Festival to come before March, Elliott was short of experienced jockeys without the two riders who have been integral to his stable’s success in recent years.

Russell will resume at Fairyhouse on Saturday, saying in a statement issued on his behalf, “After meeting with Gordon today, I have decided to come out of retirement and ride for the short period while Jack is on the sidelines.

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“It’s only been a matter of weeks since I retired, and I actually rode more out this morning than I have in many years.

“We are a close team in Cullentra and after what happened last weekend, I want to help the team through a difficult few weeks.

“The plan is to resume riding in Fairyhouse on Saturday and Punchestown on Sunday.”

Russell had become one of the stellar names in the weighing room since winning the 2014 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Lord Windermere, one of 25 Cheltenham Festival winners, and then teaming up with Elliott for whom he won the Grand National twice on Tiger Roll.

Jon Lees