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Flat jockey Kieren Fox announced his retirement from race-riding following a fifth-place finish on Ignatius at Chelmsford’s evening meeting on Friday, February 7, 2020. It brought to an end a career in which he had ridden over 200 winners.
Flat jockey Kieren Fox announced his retirement from race-riding following a fifth-place finish on Ignatius at Chelmsford’s evening meeting on Friday, February 7, 2020. It brought to an end a career in which he had ridden over 200 winners.
He announced his decision to Racing TV viewers, citing financial pressures and a wish to spend more time with his family as the reason for taking up a new career.
He announced his decision to Racing TV viewers, citing financial pressures and a wish to spend more time with his family as the reason for taking up a new career.
“I’m going working on the roads, tarmacking, “he said, ahead of his farewell ride. “It’s completely different – an eight till five job – but it’s good money and regular, something I can’t turn away.
“I’m going working on the roads, tarmacking, “he said, ahead of his farewell ride. “It’s completely different – an eight till five job – but it’s good money and regular, something I can’t turn away.
"There comes a time you’ve got to put family first, I want to be a role model to my kids and I’m not getting the rides to make it worth my while, so I need to spend more time with my kids. I want to take the kids on holiday, but then I get told I can’t miss a ride otherwise I’ll never get back on it, no matter how many times I ride out for the trainer.
"There comes a time you’ve got to put family first, I want to be a role model to my kids and I’m not getting the rides to make it worth my while, so I need to spend more time with my kids. I want to take the kids on holiday, but then I get told I can’t miss a ride otherwise I’ll never get back on it, no matter how many times I ride out for the trainer.
“Things like that, not knowing where money is coming from, going to Wolverhampton or Southwell for one ride – after expenses you walk away with nothing. When racing is good it is the best job in the world, but there are a lot of jockeys that will be struggling to make a real good living.
“Things like that, not knowing where money is coming from, going to Wolverhampton or Southwell for one ride – after expenses you walk away with nothing. When racing is good it is the best job in the world, but there are a lot of jockeys that will be struggling to make a real good living.
“I think you need three rides a day, unless you are going somewhere local, but I was travelling everywhere on my own – I wasn’t even able to share fuel costs. I’ve had a lot of owners who stuck by me, a few that I’ve told don’t want me to pack it in, but it just doesn’t make sense.”
“I think you need three rides a day, unless you are going somewhere local, but I was travelling everywhere on my own – I wasn’t even able to share fuel costs. I’ve had a lot of owners who stuck by me, a few that I’ve told don’t want me to pack it in, but it just doesn’t make sense.”
Kieren enjoyed plenty of early success as an apprentice but never quite fulfilled his early promise, and he reckoned he knew why.
Kieren enjoyed plenty of early success as an apprentice but never quite fulfilled his early promise, and he reckoned he knew why.
“I wouldn’t say my success came too quick,” he said, “but I wasn’t educated in how to look after myself financially. It’s well documented I had a bad gambling problem that I went to rehab to sort out. Online gambling, casinos and the like, but I wasted the money I earned.”
“I wouldn’t say my success came too quick,” he said, “but I wasn’t educated in how to look after myself financially. It’s well documented I had a bad gambling problem that I went to rehab to sort out. Online gambling, casinos and the like, but I wasted the money I earned.”
He added: “I think there needs to be someone teaching young jockeys how to look after their finances, because I let a lot of things slip through my fingers. I stopped riding out, as I didn’t expect the good times to stop, but they did. I got lazy. It’s all life experience, but it can be looked at for future generations.”
He added: “I think there needs to be someone teaching young jockeys how to look after their finances, because I let a lot of things slip through my fingers. I stopped riding out, as I didn’t expect the good times to stop, but they did. I got lazy. It’s all life experience, but it can be looked at for future generations.”
Kieren made news when he escaped unhurt after falling from his horse in a bizarre incident involving a golf ball during a race at Sandown in September 2016. He was unseated after his mount, Luxford, veered sharply to the right.
Kieren made news when he escaped unhurt after falling from his horse in a bizarre incident involving a golf ball during a race at Sandown in September 2016. He was unseated after his mount, Luxford, veered sharply to the right.
Television replays showed the filly had been distracted by a stray golf ball on the course, which appeared to be thrown up by eventual winner Big Lachie. The ball ricocheted off the helmet of another rider and across the sightline of Kieren’s mount.
Television replays showed the filly had been distracted by a stray golf ball on the course, which appeared to be thrown up by eventual winner Big Lachie. The ball ricocheted off the helmet of another rider and across the sightline of Kieren’s mount.
Sandown Park has three nine-hole golf courses close to the course. Although it is not open on race days and despite regular searches by ground staff, some golf balls can lie buried in the grass.
Sandown Park has three nine-hole golf courses close to the course. Although it is not open on race days and despite regular searches by ground staff, some golf balls can lie buried in the grass.
Kieren rode the majority of his winners for trainer John Best. However, the last of them was for Tony Carroll, that being Knockabout Queen in a class 6 all-weather six-furlong handicap at Lingfield on January 25, 2020.
Kieren rode the majority of his winners for trainer John Best. However, the last of them was for Tony Carroll, that being Knockabout Queen in a class 6 all-weather six-furlong handicap at Lingfield on January 25, 2020.
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