04.04.08 - THE GRAND NATIONAL, RACING AT AINTREE

DOBBIN LOOKING FOR DREAM FINISH

Tony Dobbin, the seventh most successful jump jockey of all time with almost 1,200 winners, announced his retirement at Aintree on Friday.
 
The Ulsterman has enjoyed many high-profile successes at Aintree, including the postponed 1997 John Smith’s Grand National on Lord Gyllene, but will continue to ride until Carlisle on Thursday.
 
"I have been thinking about retiring for a while - it’s hasn’t come as a shock to me. I’m still loving my riding and I’m still riding well, but we’ve had quite a quiet year from Greystoke," he explained.
 
"Rose Davidson, my girlfriend, is going into training for the 2009 season and I did intend riding on until then but the more I’ve been thinking about it over the last couple of months the more I decided to go and work for a few trainers for the next year.
 
"I’m going to work for Kevin Ryan this summer and I’ll go somewhere, maybe a couple of yards, over the winter, just to gain some more experience and learn how to do it properly.
 
"It was a huge decision for me to make. I’ve done nothing else, it’s something I’ve always done. Like 20 years ago when I came over, I’ve got something to look forward to now. I just want to do it properly and learn how to do it right.
 
"Aintree has been so lucky for me. I absolutely adore this place. From a personal point of view, there’s no comparison to Cheltenham. It’s different class here. I’ve ridden five winners over the National fences and many over the Mildmay track.
 
"I’m going to keep riding until Carlisle on Thursday because I’ve lived there for 20 years. Some family and friends are coming so that’s where I’m going to finish."
 
He will be bidding to go out on a high note in Saturday’s John Smith’s Grand National, in which he partners the Pat Hughes-trained Point Barrow.
 
"It would be amazing to go out on a high with Point Barrow. He was the best spare going and he’ll get 120% from me."