Jockey Larry Cassidy retires after 40 Group 1 wins and starting Winx’s winning streak
Jockey Larry Cassidy, who rode Winx in the first of her record breaking 33-win streak, has succumbed to a nasty finger injury which sidelined him for more than a year.
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The jockey who started Winx’s famous winning streak has called an end to his career after succumbing to a debilitating finger injury.
After openly weighing up the prospect for a number of months, Larry Cassidy officially announced his retirement from racing on Friday, bringing the end to a career that has netted 40 Group 1 winners.
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Cassidy last rode on November 25 2023 and has undergone a number of different surgeries on his left index finger after a trackwork incident at Eagle Farm.
Doctors first feared it may have to be amputated, but managed to keep it on.
It came on the back of a long injury lay-off from a ruptured disc in his back, which caused debilitating pain for the jockey prior to the finger injury.
“After more than a year, two surgeries and numerous, painful physio sessions, I have made the difficult decision to retire,” Cassidy announced.
“I want to thank everyone that has helped and supported me throughout my 39 years of riding.
“I have been lucky enough to have had a wonderful career and I am now excited to start the next chapter.”
• ‘Unbelievable’: Jockey-biting horse ready to taste victory again
Cassidy famously rode Winx in the 2015 Group 3 Sunshine Coast Guineas (now Winx Guineas) in what was the first of her record breaking 33-win streak, which saw her take out four consecutive Cox Plate’s.
She would go on to win the Group 1 Queensland Oaks under jockey Hugh Bowman following the Sunshine Coast victory.
Cassidy said he hoped to stay in racing in some capacity and has spoken publicly about the prospect of becoming a steward once his riding career was over.
Originally published as Jockey Larry Cassidy retires after 40 Group 1 wins and starting Winx’s winning streak
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