LIAM Burke has no plans to retire from race-riding following his sensational winner at Limerick last Sunday.
The 66-year-old trainer attracted huge media attention after guiding Teuchters Glory to a five-length victory in the bumper, becoming the oldest jockey to win a race in Ireland for almost 100 years.
Burke, who trains in Glengoura, near Mallow, Co Cork, renewed his amateur licence in 2021 and last weekend he bridged a 34-year gap since his previous winner in the saddle. The achievement quickly made news headlines and Burke has been inundated with congratulations all week.
Speaking from Cheltenham this week, where he watched his son Jonathan finish second aboard Love Envoi on Tuesday, Burke said: “It’s been unbelievable. I was up until 2am last Sunday night taking phone calls and answering texts. It’s been the same here at Cheltenham.”
As a younger man, Burke rode 38 point-to-point winners and 17 on the racecourse. His last point-to-point winners were in 1991.
Reflecing on his decision to resume race-riding, Burke said: “I lost weight and it was a mad notion I took to come back. My knees gave me trouble all along but I got both replaced, although it took me ages to get back right. I ride out four or five horses every day and was 66 last week.”
Burke says he intends to carry on with the occasional ride in bumpers. “The Licensing Department in Horse Racing Ireland tell me there is no age limit,” he reports. “I just have to take a concussion test every so often, the same as everyone else.”
Teuchters Glory returned “a bit tight” after Sunday’s race, run on heavy ground. “He’s not an easy horse to train and he can appear lame at home but he is fine once he warms up. You can’t run him very often. I train him on a sand gallop.
“He missed a couple of pieces of work before Limerick, so I thought I’d be doing well to finish in the first four, but on the day he gave me the best feel he ever has, so maybe the key to him is to do less. He might run in another bumper but it’s more likely I will leave him off to go hurdling next season.”