Dean Gallagher quits

Aldaniti

Aldaniti

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CHAMPION HURDLE-winning jockey Dean Gallagher, whose career has been nothing if not eventful, has announced his retirement.
Gallagher decided to hang up his boots after riding at Auteuil on Tuesday.
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Dean Gallagher: over 600 winners
PICTURE: Martin Lynch
The 40-year-old amassed over 500 winners in Britain, and 126 in France since establishing himself in the country in September 2004.

In addition to winning the Smurfit Champion Hurdle on Hors La Loi in 2002, Gallagher has been banned from riding for testing positive for cocaine, was arrested - but never charged - as part of police investigations into race-fixing and doping and, much to his annoyance, has been impersonated a number of times by an individual named Terry Kirby.

In addition, he has suffered the typical range of injuries - including a broken neck - that goes with the day job.

Gallagher told the Racing Post: "The decision had to come one day and I felt it was time to stand aside. It was a catalogue of things which pushed me to make the decision.

"The death of Musica Bella in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris made me very sad, and she died in my arms. Itwas a very tough moment."

Gallagher added: "My best souvenir was winning the Champion Hurdle on Hors La Loi at Cheltenham, as every jockey wants to win a big prize at that meeting."
 
Splendid rider, I thought, and the remark about MUSICA BELLA - as IS says - shows a refinement of feeling that I'm not sure is shared by all jockeys or trainers. Wish him well with whatever lies ahead.
 
I have a slightly differing view to Dean. I got to know him slightly when we were given Couldn't Be Better when he retired by the owner who was related by marriage to my family. When I was in Oxfordshire, I had CBB as my hack although he got bored of it after a while (used to throw terrible tantrums and try to hurl himself on the floor and was not a good influence around impressionable young fillies!). Anyway Dean came over to visit him and begged me if I needed a home for him, he'd have him straight away. So Dean ended up having the horse in theory to hunt but I believe he was still fairly reliant on the old Colombian fairy dust (allegedly!!!) and when my mum went over to see the horse he had been badly neglected and was now chronically lame. Dean had disappeared and left the horse in his estranged wifes hands and so the horse was not looked after. My mum took him home but sadly we couldn't get him sound and felt he just didn't have any quality of life so he was pts.

So forgive me if my view of Dean is somewhat different to others on here but I feel sometimes both views are required.
 
His cocaine use is a matter of record; I would guess the horse was one of many things in his life that was neglected whilst he was using. I think he deserves praise for apparently overcoming that addiction which cost him so much.
 
I have to disagree with you Jinnyj - I knew Deano quite well when working for one of his closest friends a few years back. He's a genuinely nice guy and I find it hard to believe he would knowingly neglect a horse. As you say he'd left the country and wasn't even looking after the animal at the time.

Desert Orchid, I think your comment is out of order. Dean was cleared of any involvement in the doping case as were all the jockeys in an investigation that was utter bollocks and run by clowns clutching at straws and running around like headless chickens.
 
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He's been done more than once for giving horses an easy time of it.

He's what I call a 'job' jockey. Rides to specific orders for specific connections, to win or not to win as required. That makes me happy to see the back of him.
 
Reading he's what you'd call a job jockey does not ascertain his guilt. Calling him a crook is off-beam, not least when he was cleared of any allegations thus.

Dean moved to France after he split up with his wife.
 
Crikey - imagine that! A jockey who rides to specific orders, to win or not! What on earth is racing coming to? I shall write to my MP immediately - well, I will if he's not already buggered-off with pockets abulge with totally legitimate expense repayments...
 
To have allegations made against you once is unfortunate. Twice smacks of carelessness. More than twice is arrogance and contempt. Good riddance.
 
Yet they still found him innocent. Still, why let facts get in the way of a good bit of old fashioned venom?

Anyway, did he really have more than two allegations of being crooked hanging over him? If memory serves, was it not only the once, when a bunch jockeys were arrested by the bungling idiots at the Met? All were cleared since there was no case to answer and the allegations were laughable.
 
Desert Orchid, that particular investigation and how they went about it was an utter joke and anybody who knows anything about it is fully aware of that fact.

Since you're convinced of the guilt of those found innocent of the charges, please explain to me, for starters, why any jockey would knowingly dope up a horse they were about to ride in a race over obstacles, with sedatives?? That's just one small part of the whole case that shows what a nonsense it was.
 
There's a touch of Madame La Farge about you, DO! I think it's far from unfortunate that investigations clear names in racing. What would you prefer - that far more were found to be frauds, dodgepots, and bent as hairpins? I'd far rather that investigations were launched and names were cleared, than were convicted. The investigations show that racing is taking any allegations seriously, and it's surely to its credit when it's found that they've been unfounded.
 
Sorry to pour a bit of cold water etc

But as Shadow Leader suggests, whatever we might or might not think of the alleged rights or wrongs, we need to observe a few rules -

The 'internal' case has been heard, the decision has been handed down. Any allegation to the contrary potentially places the poster and the site owner at risk of an action.

Yes I know it's unlikely, but neither is it unheard of either. If you want to make these allegations then could you please consider doing it elsewhere

thanks
 
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