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Barry Geraghty has brushed off suggestions he thought about quitting racing after his leg break at Aintree in April. The experienced jockey suffered a bad fall in Liverpool on board Peregrine Run in the Topham Handicap Chase on the Friday of the Grand National meeting, and was subsequently ruled out of the showpiece steeplechase the following day.
Geraghty has had to have pins and an external frame put in to repair the damage to what he calls “the worst fracture he’s ever had”, but he’s now progressing well and could be back in the saddle by the end of July. The 39-year-old has insisted he never thought about calling it a day – even though he has been riding since 1997 and has a plethora of big wins under his belt in a stunningly successful career.
He told the Guardian: “I enjoy it so much, I really do. For me, there’s nothing better than turning in with two to jump and ‘race on’. I’d miss that too much.” Geraghty was hoping to be back fit for the Galway Festival at the end of July and is now waiting on the surgeon’s assessment before settling on a return date.
He added: “I saw the surgeon last week and he’s very happy with it. I’ll see him again in a couple of weeks. It’s progressing well. I was originally hoping to make it back for Galway and that’s still a possibility. “I haven’t pressed him for an answer about timing. You can only really know two weeks before.”
