Riding return excites Kinane
Kinane brought an illustrious 34-year riding career to an end in December 2009, the same year he partnered the brilliant Sea The Stars to win six Group One prizes in as many months, including the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, the Epsom Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The rider enjoyed incredible success on a worldwide scale, with the Melbourne Cup and the Belmont Stakes in America among the major international prizes he secured.
Kinane has made just one subsequent appearance in the saddle since his retirement, winning the Aintree Legends Charity Flat Race on American Trilogy on Grand National day earlier this year. He is one of 16 riders competing in the Clipper Logistics Leger Legends Classified Stakes at Doncaster, a race run to raise money for the Injured Jockeys Fund’s ’House That Jack Built’ initiative and the Northern Racing College student accommodation project.
“It should be good fun and I’m looking forward to the day,” said Kinane. “It’s for a great cause. The Injured Jockeys’ Fund do great work and I’m more than happy to be able to help in whatever way I can.
“These races are always good fun. I couldn’t ride in this one last year as my daughter was getting married, but I rode at Aintree, which was great.”
The declarations for the one-mile contest were made on Monday morning and Kinane was paired with the Chris Dwyer-trained Patriotic.
Kinane will be pitting his wits against a number of other talented riders of years gone by, none more so than last year’s winner and American legend Julie Krone, the most successful female jockey of all time, won the 1993 Belmont Stakes on Colonial Affair and notched her 3,705th winner when partnering Invincible Hero to win this contest 12 months ago.
“I know Julie quite well. I’ve ridden with her in Japan and places like that and it will be nice to catch up with her and the other riders,” said Kinane.
