By Alan Carasso
David Walsh, the all-time leading New Zealand-based jockey with more than 2500 trips to the winner's enclosure, has announced his retirement from the saddle.
Born in 1959, Walsh began working in the stables of trainer Jim Lalor at just 13 years of age and two years later became apprenticed to the conditioner. Walsh continued to improve and rode better than 60 winners in just his fourth year as a jockey and later relocated to Riccarton and to Palmerston North to ride first call for trainer Garth Ivil.
Known as the best front-running rider in New Zealand, Walsh made countless trips across to Australia and recorded easily the most important victory of his career in the 1994 G1 Cox Plate, riding Solvit (NZ) (Morcon {GB}) to a narrow success at odds of 10-1.
“I won several group ones on Solvit and he was a top performer,” Walsh told NZ Racing.co.nz Walsh when prompted for the best he's ridden. “And [four-time Group 1 winner] Courier Bay (NZ) (Diplomatic Agent) was a fantastic horse in every respect but didn't race to his true level in Australia due to ill-luck and he probably deserves a higher place in our racing history.”
Walsh became the winningest jockey in New Zealand history on Apr. 27, 2014, surpassing the previous record set by Hall of Famer Lance O'Sullivan. Recent health issues had sidelined Walsh since last August and he called time on his career Wednesday.
“I've had a fair go over a long period of time–loved every minute of it even with all the ups and downs–but I'm now at a point with recent health issues that I have to say 'enough',” Walsh told NZRacing.co.nz. “I'm on the mend and with riding now behind me I'm looking forward to moving on to a new phase of my life, hopefully continuing in racing. Racing has been great to me and I'd like to think I can now give something back. I have no regrets and if I had the chance I would do the same thing all over again.”
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