JACK KENNEDY revealed he has a plan laid out for when he is finished in horse-racing.
The Kerry jockey toasted his 600th winner last Tuesday, representing a significant landmark in his career.
Amongst the 25-year-old’s other significant wins are the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup, 2024 Stayers’ Hurdle, two Ladbrokes Champions Chases, and the 2020 Irish Gold Cup.
Those big days mean that Kennedy does not spend much time regretting the many injuries and setbacks.
He told BoyleSports, who offer the latest Punchestown odds: “I am still very laid back.
“I have been busy learning the riding and trying to get better all the time.
“The mental side can be tough especially as I have broken my leg five times.
“But really it is something you sign up to when you become a jockey, you know there’s going to be injuries.
“At Tipperary on Tuesday, I rode Morepowertoya for my 600th winner.
“If that was the option I was to be offered when I was a child, I would take the five broken legs for 600 winners, no bother!
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“I won’t be celebrating to be honest as it’s a funny number. Maybe I will wait till I get to a thousand.
“That’s my first target, then after that as many as I can.
“You can’t feel invincible because you know the risks. But they are outweighed by the rewards racing can give you.”
Nonetheless, he has turned an eye towards what life will look like when he finishes up in the saddle.
The Kerryman added: “Touch wood, I am making a good living.
“I bought a house when I was 21 and before that myself and my brother Paddy bought a farm together when I was 18 in Kildare.
“We break and pre-train horses on the land. We have built a barn and put in a gallop. It’s important to think ahead over the longer term.
“Paddy has stopped riding now as he got a bad injury in 2021.
“He is working at home full time breaking and pre-training, but I am not as busy on it because of my focus on racing.
“It is something that when the day does come, when I am finished riding, hopefully we will have built up something for the future.
“It is going well for us. We pre-train mostly for Gordon [Elliott] but anyone can send us a horse. The door is always open!
“We have 28 at the moment but we will get busier in the summer with just over 40.”
