By Dan Walsh
The fourth and last day of the Christmas racing festival at Leopardstown on Sunday was an outstanding success with many bright prospects amongst the winners, but the limelight was stolen by the emotional retirement of Enniscorthy jockey Daryl Jacob.
The 41-year-old was out of luck on his final ride in a 25-year racing career (Mr Percy finished 12th in the Listed handicap hurdle) but he was busy with television interviews and answering questions from the press.
A native of Davidstown, near Enniscorthy, Jacob, who partnered his 1,000th winner last month, has endured a challenging final season in the saddle, having spent significant spells on the sidelines due to two collarbone injuries.
The Aintree Grand National winning jockey on Neptune Collonges in 2012 by the shortest winning margin in the history of the race hopes that punditry might be the next chapter of his career.
On his way back to the weighing room for the final time, while being stopped for selfies and autographs, Jacob told The Racing Post; “It’s the end of one chapter, but a new chapter is going to start tomorrow morning. I’m very lucky. I’ve had an amazing time, an amazing career.
“Simon [Munir] and Isaac [Souede] came along at the perfect time in my career and they gave me a lot more longevity than I thought I was going to have. I’ve had an amazing career and so much fun along the way. The time is right now and I’m looking forward to a new chapter.
Asked what the next chapter might include, Daryl replied; “I’d love to do a bit of TV work as I really enjoy it. I love working with Simon and Isaac and all the wonderful horses they have, as well, so hopefully there’ll be plenty of stuff to get stuck into.”
And while the veteran Daryl was stepping away from the weighroom, 19-years-old Conor Stone-Walsh from Cleariestown was making his presence felt in style when partnering Al Gasparo to a half-length victory for trainer Gavin Cromwell in the televised Neville Hotels Premier Handicap Hurdle with a €100,000 prize pot. Nice one!
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