Paddy Brennan: Jockey retires after Cheltenham win on Manofthepeople

Leading jump jockey Paddy Brennan has retired after riding a winner at Cheltenham on Wednesday.

The 43-year-old Irishman, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2010 on Imperial Commander, ended his career with victory on Manofthepeople.

Brennan had over 1,600 wins, including several big races with Cue Card and the 2007 World Hurdle on Inglis Drever.

Imperial Commander upset racing greats Kauto Star and Denman when winning the Gold Cup.

Brennan was stable jockey to Fergal O’Brien, and his last triumph came on a 9-1 shot for the Gloucestershire-based trainer.

The rider stood up in the stirrups and saluted the crowd as he passed the post in front, before being congratulated by fellow riders and returning to emotional scenes in the winner’s enclosure.

“It’s been a rollercoaster, so many ups, so many downs, but I feel like I’ve got to the end of the ocean and walked onto the beach,” he told Racing TV.

“It’s been on my mind a few weeks, I’ve been asking opinions but I went for a coffee with my wife this morning and I felt certain. It’s time for the next generation of jockeys. It’s a tough gig, it’s constant.”

Brennan won the 2015 King George VI Chase on Cue Card and was in contention for another Gold Cup with him later in the season before a late fall.

When victorious on Imperial Commander for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, he had raised a finger to his lips after much of the pre-race talk had been about previous winners Denman and Kauto Star.

“Denman and Kauto Star is all I’ve heard for the last three months. It’s been good for racing but it was never a two-horse race,” said the Galway-born rider afterwards.