WINNING the race, he once memorably claimed, was better than sex, so there's more than a hint of irony in the fact that Mick Fitzgerald's career was ultimately ended by the Grand National.
The 38-year-old has been forced to retire on medical advice after failing to recover sufficiently from the serious injuries he received in this year's Liverpool marathon.
Fitzgerald suffered neck and knee ligament damage after falling from L'
Ami at Aintree and subsequently underwent two bouts of surgery.
Having broken his neck in a previous fall however, 'Fitzy' has now been told it's time to call a halt. "I have had to take the advice of the medical experts and they are obviously correct," he explained. "It's the news I didn't want but these people know best and I will accept their decision 100 per cent."
The popular Irishman added: "I have had a great career and am still heavily involved in the sport: that will continue because racing has always been in my blood. I will be giving up riding with a lump in my throat as it is a game I have loved all of my life."
Born in Cork, Fitzgerald's early days as a jockey were spent on the flat, but increasing weight forced him to switch codes and he moved to England to join John Jenkins as an 18-year-old with, as he himself recalled, 'not a pot to p*** in.'
His first winner came at Ludlow in December 1988 aboard the Richard Tucker-trained Lover's Secret and although another quickly followed, he then went over a year without a sniff of success, a barren spell that saw him on the verge of emigrating to New Zealand. He eventually decided to stay put and with the help of trainers such as Ray Callow, Gerald Ham and Jackie Retter, the tide gradually began to turn.
It was, though, his move to Nicky Henderson's stable in 1993 that undoubtedly lit the blue touch paper, and the pair became one of the most enduring partnerships in racing. "His greatest attribute to us was that he wasn't just a jockey, he was a team player and a great mate," said the Seven Barrows handler as he led the tributes.
"Mick was obviously a very, very good rider, he was very strong and very good at presenting a horse at an obstacle, but there was much more to it than that. When you think he rode 762 winners for us, which is an awful lot for one yard, it's amazing. He was the archetypal stable jockey."
Henderson added: "At the moment, he can't ride at all but he would like to stay on in some capacity. He could always be here as a guide, a helper, and a brain. It's been a long journey and it's been good fun all the way."
In total, Fitzgerald rode well over 1,000 winners and was one of the select group to land the Grand National, on Rough Quest in 1996, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup aboard See More Business three years later, the former victory paving the way for that famous quote.
Another to sing the praises of his now former weighing-room colleague was champion jockey Tony McCoy. "Over the last 12 or 14 years he been one of my best friends on and off the course and he will be sadly missed," he said. "Being one of the senior jockeys, he was the one person the young lads looked up to and went to for advice.
"I will miss him more as a friend than anything else but hopefully we will be able to catch up with a game of golf, he's always been better than me and this will give him even more time to brush up. I don't know what he is going to do, but he has always been a good talker so I wouldn't be surprised if it is something he can talk about."
That looks an odds-on shot, with Fitzgerald likely to pursue a new career in the media although one thing, at least, is certain. Almost two years ago, he announced his imminent retirement only to change his mind. This time, there's no going back.
The full article contains 710 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
