The jockey who has ridden more New Zealand winners than any other has confirmed his retirement from the saddle. David Walsh, who has been off the scene through ill health this season, made his decision public yesterday.
"Retiring has been on my mind for a while, but I didn't want to make the call until I felt better and now the time is right," he said. "I haven't got anything lined up at the moment, but I'm hoping to stay in the game whether it be in a steward's role or working with apprentices. It would be nice to think there might be something."
Walsh rode more than 2500 winners and it was the 2360th victory of his career in April, 2014, aboard Willy Duggan in the Marlborough Cup at Blenheim that surpassed the previous record set by Lance O'Sullivan, who retired in 2003.
Walsh went to work for Ashburton trainer Jim Lalor as a 13-year-old and signed on as an apprentice two years later. He rode his first winner on Three Sevens at Timaru in 1974.