'I have as much respect for Michael O'Leary's opinion as he has for my opinion' - Davy Russell hits back at retirement comments
BITING BACK: Davy Russell onboard Galvin after finishing in second on Wednesday. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher
Ahead of a cracking book of rides on day three of the Cheltenham Festival, Davy Russell has hit back at Michael O’Leary’s criticism of his retirement U-turn.
The Youghal jockey retired in December but was back in the saddle within a month to fill in for Jack Kennedy after the luckless Kerry jockey broke his leg for a fifth time.
In an interview broadcast by ITV on Tuesday, Ryanair chief O’Leary argued Russell, who won the Grand National twice for O’Leary on Tiger Roll, had “nothing to achieve by coming back”.
O’Leary said: “He’d retired and, personally, I wish he’d stayed retired. He has a young family with young children and at a certain point in time you should put your family first and not your riding career.
“When you get out at that age in your early 40s you don’t bounce, you don’t mend the way you did before. Particularly if you’re married and you have children you put your family first.
“He’s had a glorious career and he has nothing to achieve by coming back and I don’t think he should’ve come out of retirement.”
Asked for his take on O’Leary’s comments on Thursday morning, Russell said: “I have about as much respect for Michael O’Leary’s opinion as he has for my opinion. I didn’t see any father of the year awards being thrown out yet and I’m happy enough with my responsibilities at home.”
👀 "I have about as much respect for Michael O'Leary's opinion as he has for my opinion"
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 16, 2023
🗣@_Davy_Russel_#TheOpeningShow | #CheltenhamFestival | @sagrassick pic.twitter.com/EFLBxKbZPS
Russell told ITV that he spoke to wife Edelle before discussing a potential return with Gordon Elliott and that she was fully supportive of his decision.
“I was off for 18 days, I was riding 18 days beforehand and I had retired and it was just unfortunate for Jack and Gordon was in a predicament, he didn’t want to launch the young lads into that position and we had a chat about it. I spoke to Edelle before I spoke to Gordon and she was fully behind me. Fingers crossed, it goes okay and if we get a bit of success out of it, it would be great.”
Despite the pair’s disagreement, Russell will ride Fury Road for the O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud in Thursday’s Ryanair Chase.
Russell also partners favourite Teahupoo in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and hot favourite Mighty Potter in Thursday’s opening race, the Turners Novices’ Chase.
The task facing Mighty Potter was helped on Thursday morning when the Joseph O’Brien-trained Banbridge, who won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at last year’s Festival, was taken out of the contest due to the soft ground.
