Robert Winston Retires From Racing

Irish Jockey Robert Winston has retired from the sport. The former British flat racing Champion apprentice announced his decision on Wednesday morning after months of deliberation. Winston recently stated that he had issues with his weight which resulted in a lack of rides.

“I’m finished as of today. It’s been brewing for a while. Horses like Librisa Breeze kept me going for the last couple of years, but I was on the verge (of retirement) a couple of years ago.

“It’s an amalgamation of reasons, alack of rides and issues with my weight – and they are a knock-on from the bad injury I had five years ago. I’ve still got back issues from that, and recently I’ve had a niggle in my neck.

This is not how I want things to be and with my fiancee, Victoria, we’ve set up a business rehabilitating horses and other bits and pieces,” Winston continued.

Despite fading away over the last few years, Winston accomplished plenty during his career. We’re not shocked by his announcement, but he’ll be missed by fans, punters, and horse racing tipsters alike. For that reason, we want to take a trip down memory lane and look back at some of his greatest moments.

Career Highlights

1999 Champion Apprentice – Winston burst onto the racing scene more than two decades ago. The Dubliner followed in the footsteps of world-class jockeys like Lester Piggot and Frankie Dettori when he was announced as the 1999 British flat racing Champion Apprentice.

Winston racked up 49 winners in total that year. This was a huge accomplishment for such a young jockey. However, he was just getting started. The best moments of his career were yet to come.

2004 Cheveley Park Stakes – Five years later, Robert Winston was back among the headlines when he rode Magical Romance to victory at the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes in Newmarket.

Once again, the Irishman was putting his name among the greatest jockeys of all time. Lester Piggott won this race on Durtal in 1976. Frankie Dettori also won this event on Regal Rose in 2000,and Carry On Katie in 2003. This might have been Winston’s first group one winner, but it certainly wasn’t going to be his last.

2017 British Champions Sprint – The Irish jockey had to wait 13 years for his next significant winner. However, when it came, it would outweigh everything he had done before. In October 2017, Winston wrote his name into the racing history books when he won the British Champions Sprint at Ascot with Librisa Breeze.

He also picked up the Lester Award for Flat Ride of the Year because of that victory. When quizzed about whether or not Librisa Breeze was his best-ever ride, Winston had this to say:

“On the track, he’d have to be the best, but I rode some good mares, like Short Skirt, who was second in the Yorkshire Oaks for Sir Michael Stoute, and I rode lots of good horses for Barry Hills like Red Jazz.”