Jockey Danny Beasley calls time on stellar career in saddle

Star jockey Danny Beasley won’t ride again, after succumbing to injury.

Danny Beasley has ridden his last race.

Star jockey Danny Beasley needs more surgery on facial fractures sustained in a trackwork incident and has been forced to call time on his celebrated riding career.

Beasley will undergo a second round of surgery on Wednesday and doctors have advised he will need at least six weeks to recover.

This means Beasley is unable to ride at the Wodonga meeting on Saturday, which he had planned to be his last day of race riding.

“I wanted to ride at Wodonga one last time because that is where I had my first race ride in 1992,’’ Beasley said.

“But the doctors have told me I will not be able to have any sort of contact for six weeks and I definitely won’t be riding a horse during this period. So, that’s it as a jockey, I’m officially retired.’’

Beasley was injured when dislodged from his mount and struck in the face at Wagga Wagga trackwork last week.

“It’s disappointing but when I reflect on my riding career and what I have achieved, I’ve been very fortunate and privileged, and there’s a lot of great memories,’’ he said.

* EXCLUSIVE: Legendary jockey Greg Hall back working in racing

Beasley with Gai Waterhouse at Randwick.

Beasley retires from the saddle after an outstanding career where he rode nearly 2000 winners with 14 at Group 1 level including the 2003 Golden Slipper on Polar Success and six Group 1 wins on champion Grand Armee including the 2003 Doncaster Mile and 2004-05 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Beasley after winning the 2003 Doncaster Handicap on Grand Armee.

He also rode with success on the international stage, particularly in Singapore where he rode more than 600 winners.

“When I first started as an apprentice, my heart was in the Riverina and I would have been happy to win a Wagga (Wagga Gold) Cup,’’ Beasley said.

“That was my big goal and eventually I was lucky enough to win one for Gai Waterhouse on Regal Touch.

“But to have won races like the Golden Slipper, Doncaster Handicap and Newmarket Handicap, is very humbling.’’

* EXCLUSIVE: I Wish I Win locked in for The Everest

Miss Pennymoney winning the Newmarket Handicap.

Beasley won six Group 1 races on Grand Armee and, not surprisingly, rated that horse as the best horse he rode during his career.

“Grand Armee competed in an era where there were so many good weight-for-age horses like Lonhro and he was able to beat most of them,’’ Beasley said. “His win in the Doncaster was the most satisfying win of my career.’’

* Mr Brightside on song for huge spring carnival: ‘He’s put on 40kg’

Beasley winning the Golden Slipper on Polar Success.

Beasley won’t be lost to racing as he has held a jockey-trainer licence for six months and will now train full-time out of Wagga Wagga.

“I’ve got four horses in work and another five in pre-training,’’ Beasley said.

“I’m hoping to eventually get back to riding trackwork but I am going to focus on training now.

“I’ve harboured ambitions to be a trainer for quite sometime and I’m not doing this as a hobby, I want to be successful.’’

DANNY BEASLEY

Age: 49

First ride: Wodonga, 1992

First win: Power Street, Corowa, 1993

Career: 1877 wins

Group 1 wins: 14

Major wins

Golden Slipper – Polar Success (2003)

Doncaster Handicap – Grand Armee (2003)

Queen Elizabeth Stakes – Grand Armee (2004-05)

Newmarket Handicap – Miss Pennymoney (2000)

Originally published as Jockey Danny Beasley calls time on stellar career in saddle