A 64-YEAR-OLD jockey is making a shock return to the saddle – 33 YEARS after last riding a winner.
Punters are used to seeing the name of jump jockey Johnny Burke on racecards.
But it is his old man Liam – a Group 1-winning trainer – who gets the leg over in the 5.25 at Sligo in Ireland on Sunday.
Speaking of legs overs, Liam has two new knees after being ‘crippled’ in pain from them a few years ago.
Liam – who told irish.racing.com his return is a ‘moment of madness’ – last tasted victory as a jockey 33 years ago when he landed a handicap hurdle at Killarney.
On Sunday he will take the mount of Shumard looking to break a duck that goes back to 1988.
And Liam said as someone who doesn’t drink, smoke or ‘go with strange women’, he gets his kicks from racing.
He told the Racing Post: “I’m 64 and a half, a year-and-a-half from the bus ticket!
“I was crippled for years with my knees, but I got my two knees done.
“I wasn’t fit ro ride anything before, but I feel like doing it now.
“I don’t drink, I don’t smoke and I don’t go with strange women. This is my kick!”
Burke, who has 17 career winners, last raced 20 years when taking part in a charity race.
His boy Johnny, who’s won more than £2.3million over the past five seasons, was shocked to learn his dad was giving it another go.
But he is relishing watching it – so he can finally get his own back with some criticism of his own.
Johnny said: “I got a call from someone to say he spotted him at RACE [Racing Academy and Centre of Education] doing the course.
“I told him it couldn’t have been him, no way. He had runners at Limerick that day so it couldn’t have been him.
“I rang him to find out and, would you believe it, it was him!
“Then someone sent me a picture of the Racing Calendar two weeks ago and there was his name in it after being granted a qualified riders’ licence.
” I rang to congratulate him and he said ‘you were all laughing at me. You’re not laughing now’.”
“I’ll be watching closely with my critical eye and I won’t hold back on the criticism, let me tell you.
“It’s time to get my own back!
“All joking side, he is some man. He keeps very active and that’s why he’s able to do this.”
Who the oldest jockey in the world is is difficult to know for sure.
American rider Frank Amonte was still trying at 76, but officials banned from him tracks because he was ‘too frail’.
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Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.sportingexcitement.com/horse-racing/richest-horse-ever-galileo-worth-180million-tragically-dies-aged-23-after-chronic-injury
