'I've been struggling with it for a few years' - jockey Phil Dennis retires after battle with weight

There was no last-day victory for Phil Dennis, who retired from race-riding after two final mounts at Beverley on Tuesday.

He could not add to his tally of 270 winners, finishing second on Variety Island in the 5f handicap and fourth on Park Street over 7½f.

Dennis, 28, had revealed on social media the previous evening that he was quitting the saddle due to what he called "the constant battle" to make the weight.

"I've had loads of messages since last night, more than I could imagine," he said at Beverley, where a presentation was made to mark his retirement.

"But I've known for a couple of weeks that it was coming. It hasn't been sudden, I've been struggling with it for a few years. 

"There are loads in the weighing room in the same boat and I admire them, you just tackle it day by day. But it's been like it for a while, you keep going for so long but it comes to a time when you have to call it a day. But I've enjoyed my time."

Dennis, who is tall for a Flat jockey at 5ft 11in, is the son of BHA course inspector Chris Dennis, who formerly rode over jumps.

He added: "I'd just turned 17 when I had my first ride in a point-to-point and I've done jumping and the Flat since.

"It's come full circle. I had a winner on my first ride for Katie Scott in a point-to-point 13 years ago, and my last ride for her was a winner at Hamilton on Saturday. 

"I had some great days, winning the Dash at Epsom on Ornate and riding a four-timer at Newcastle. It's been good and I can go out knowing I've left everything out there. I've stuck at it."

Phil Dennis: "It's been good and I can go out knowing I've left everything out there. I've stuck at it." Credit: David Carr (racingpost.com/photos)

Ornate was trained by David Griffths, who paid tribute to the jockey's perseverance.  

"He emailed me around 2007 and asked if he could come and ride out, and from then he rode out every week for probably four years," he said. "The first horse he rode for me was a winner and he won eight times on Ornate. The Dash was a great day, winning from a bad draw.

"He's very quiet and had lovely hands and was so good at getting the horses out of the gates. Ornate was a front-runner and needed to jump and go and he'd very rarely make a mistake. He's a top guy. He's come out in one piece and good luck to him."

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