He's back: Davy Russell to make dramatic return to saddle

Davy Russell is to make a dramatic return to the saddle little more than three weeks after announcing his retirement.

Russell, 43, stunned the sport by quitting the saddle after riding a winner at Thurles on December 18.

After what amounts to a brief pause, he will make his comeback in Ireland this weekend and be available to ride the bulk of Gordon Elliott’s leading contenders at the Dublin Racing Festival, at Leopardstown early next month, and the Cheltenham Festival in mid-March.

He has decided to make a swift return after the luckless Jack Kennedy suffered a broken leg for the fifth time in a fall at Naas on Sunday. The 23-year-old, Elliott’s No 1 jockey, faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines and seems unlikely to be fit in time for Cheltenham.

Russell has himself had a long and successful association with Elliott and the trainer’s principal patrons, Gigginstown House Stud.

The Band that has enjoyed so many giddy days together – most notably with two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll - is getting back together, albeit probably only for a limited time.

Russell will also resume his role as the most successful active Jump jockey in the weighing room and now has the opportunity to add to his 25 previous Cheltenham Festival winners.

"After meeting with Gordon [Elliott] today, I have decided to come out of retirement and ride for a short while Jack is on the sidelines," Russell said in a statement on Wednesday night.

"It's only been a mattter 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 at Fairyhouse on Saturday and Punchestown on Sunday."

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Russell has been crowned champion Jumps jockey in Ireland on three occasions and his Cheltenham Festival winners include the Gold Cup aboard Lord Windermere in 2014.

He failed to record a winner at last season's Festival but did enjoy big-race glory aboard Galvin in the Savills Chase plus also guided Conflated to success in the Irish Gold Cup.

His return will be celebrated by racing fans who admire his supreme horsemanship, sympathetic style and tactical acumen. There are few finer sights than a motionless Russell cutting through the pack.

The father of five bowed out when still at the top of his game and the fact that he feels able to return on Saturday indicates he did not indulge too much at the dinner table over the festive period.

If Kennedy is unable to ride at Cheltenham, Russell can look forward to being reunited with Conflated in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, for which he is quoted at 10/1, while other high-profile partners could include Teahupoo, who is 8/1 for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, and the likes of Fury Road, Gerri Colombe, Mighty Potter and Fil Dor.

Russell has suffered numerous injuries throughout his career, including in the Munster National at Limerick in October 2020 which resulted in him spending almost a year on the sidelines due to fracturing his C6 and C7 vertabrae, as well as dislocating his T1.

He only returned to the saddle in September 2021 after what he described as a "torturous" recovery.

After riding what we all presumed was his final winner last month, he said: “I’m sad to be giving up something I’ve been lucky enough to have called a job for so long, but the truth is I’ve never actually worked a day in my life.”

Few would bet against him now adding another chapter or two to his remarkable career.

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