O’Regan salutes a great champion as Inglis Drever retired

JOCKEY Denis O’Regan counts himself fortunate to have played his part in the epic story of Inglis Drever, who has been retired.

Time has been called on the 10-year-old’s star-spangled career after he failed to recover from an injury sustained in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury in November.

Trainer Howard Johnson and owner Graham Wylie hoped the triple Ladbrokes World Hurdle winner had recovered from that setback after receiving positive X-ray results earlier this month.

But a disappointing workout at the weekend convinced connections to abandon plans to send Inglis Drever back to the Cheltenham Festival, after which the decision was taken to retire him.

O’Regan partnered Inglis Drever to the biggest victory of his riding career when the pair claimed last year’s World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

For that being the case, the rider will always be grateful.

O’Regan said: “I’m just lucky to have been involved in one part of his success.

“It was a great day when I won on him at Cheltenham, brilliant.

“I’m pleased he’s going to have his retirement.

“It’s good that he’s got out in one piece, that’s the main thing.

“It was just great to be part of it and I definitely won’t ride many as good as him.”

The brilliant gelding signed off with 17 wins – 12 of which came at Graded level – from 35 starts and amassed nearly £800,000 in prize-money.

He will now retire to Wylie’s Chesters Stud at Humshaugh, Hexham.

Wylie said: “We decided on Saturday that he wasn’t really interested in his racing any more.

“We always knew that he would tell us when he wanted to be retired.

“That day has now come.

Johnson breathed a sigh of relief as speculation over Inglis Drever’s future finally came to an end.

“I’m over the moon I’ve retired him,” said the County Durham handler.

“We put shoes on him the other day, we rode him out and he didn’t even want the jockey to get on him.

“He was telling me he’d had enough. We gave him a jog along the road and I wasn’t happy, so he’s gone into retirement.

“One day we might hopefully find another one like him, but we’ll struggle.

“I think I’ve done the right thing for the public and everybody,” he added.