'I'd just like to finish with a smile on my face' says Davy Russell as he expands on decision to ride at Aintree

Davy Russell has spoken for the first time about the back injury that impeded him at last month's Cheltenham Festival and indicated that he might not extend his return from retirement beyond Aintree. 

The 43-year-old three-time champion jockey initially announced his retirement after winning on Liberty Dance at Thurles on December 18, but was back in action for Gordon Elliott at Fairyhouse on January 14 after Jack Kennedy broke his leg for a fifth time. 

His decision was vindicated when Mighty Potter and The Goffer secured him a double on day two of the Dublin Racing Festival, but a final-flight fall from his final ride of the meeting, The Tide Turns, left him nursing a back injury and sidelined him for much of the run up to Cheltenham. 

The festival itself failed to yield a winner and ended on a dramatic note when Sam Ewing was parachuted in at the last minute to ride Conflated into third in the Gold Cup after Russell stood himself down for being sore.

The dual Grand National-winning jockey hasn't ridden since but has now confirmed that he will ride at Aintree, where his mounts will include the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase runner-up, Galvin, a 20-1 chance. 

Davy Russell and Galvin (left) are just edged out by Delta Work at Cheltenham Credit: Edward Whitaker

"It's probably not ideal finishing up the way Cheltenham went so it would be nice, especially for Ronnie Bartlett [Galvin's owner] and the horse has been so good to me over the years, to give it a rattle," Russell said of his plan to ride at Aintree, adding that he would skip Fairyhouse this weekend to give his back more time.

Asked if he would continue on to Punchestown, he sounded doubtful.

"I don't know. It's a bit like putting an impact sub on a team. I'm happy where I am now, but how long I'd be able to go on physically, I don't know. It's the number of days in a row that would catch me at Punchestown," he said. 

"I could commit to go there and I know I'd be 100 per cent going in there, but it's coming out of it halfway through the week it could catch up with me, so there is no point in going that far. Whereas in Aintree, I hopefully have a couple of rides each day and it wouldn't be as demanding."

Pressed on whether that meant he wouldn't ride beyond Aintree, he said: "Well, I'd like to finish on a high anyway, wherever that may be. I've had a marvellous career and loved every second of it, and I'd just like to finish with a smile on my face."  

That smile was missing for much of Cheltenham week. Little went Russell's way and there was an added subplot of Gigginstown House Stud boss Michael O'Leary declaring he shouldn't have come out of retirement, prompting Russell to bite back that he had "about as much respect for Michael O'Leary's opinion as he has for mine".

A disappointing Cheltenham for Davy Russell included a spat with Gigginstown boss Michael O'Leary

Russell's week culminated in him standing himself down from the ride on the owner's Conflated. Two races previous, he had been thwarted a head by Faivoir in the County Hurdle on Pied Piper, who nodded at the final flight and on whom Russell elected not to use the whip behind the saddle, prompting some to suggest he was struggling physically. 

Asked if that was the case, he said: "He just nodded at the back of the last and whether that twinged my back or not, I don't know. I felt I was home for all money, and I know the feeling, I knew I had enough horse to get me to the line, but he just nodded and it cost him those couple of millimetres at the end. 

"I don't even know what sort of response he'd give you if I did hit him behind the saddle. In the past he hasn't given a whole load of a response when you do hit him. 

"I'll be honest, I had everything covered bar that little bit of a nod at the last. Maybe that caught something but I was sore after it.

"I was after giving it as long as I could but maybe it did catch up with me for a little bit. It wasn't ideal anyway. It's the constant day after day and the number of rides, and it just caught me when I wasn't 100 per cent." 

With Mighty Potter beaten into third at odds-on in the Turners Novices' Chase and Teahupoo also narrowly denied in third when sent off favourite for the Stayers' Hurdle, close calls went against Russell all week. Asked how frustrating it was to come away without a winner, he replied: "I wasn't really frustrated I was just disappointed. The killing thing was I was riding back to where I wanted to be, and I felt brilliant at the Dublin Racing Festival. I really did. I felt it was the right decision to come back, and everything was right, but just that knock did a lot damage. 

"I was as sound as a bell after the couple of weeks off [retired] and I was really enjoying it. Every horse over the couple of days at Dublin, everything seemed to fall right. The Goffer was the most enjoyable race I've ever ridden. And, genuinely, the first couple of days in Cheltenham I felt great. I never enjoyed riding in a race as much as I did riding Galvin in the cross-country. Everything went perfect, I was ringing every bell, I just wasn't good enough."

On Wednesday, Elliott had also stressed that he didn't want Russell to finish on the bum note from Cheltenham. "I don't think there would be any better way for him to finish up than riding in the National and, if Jack doesn't make it back, there will be a lot of other rides for him at Aintree too," he said.

That support has invigorated Russell and convinced him to roll the dice at Aintree once more. "Gordon has given me his full support and he wants me," Tiger Roll's Grand National partner said. "It's one thing to be pushing to ride but it's a lot easier when you know you are wanted to ride horses, that's very pleasing."

Randox Grand National (5.15 Aintree, April 15)

Coral: 6 Corach Rambler, 8 Noble Yeats, 10 Delta Work, 12 Any Second Now, Gaillard Du Mesnil, 14 Mr Incredible, 16 Ain’t That A Shame, Galvin, Le Milos, Longhouse Poet, Vanillier, 20 Our Power, 25 Capodanno, Lifetime Ambition, The Big Breakaway, The Big Dog, The Shunter, 33 bar

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Davy Russell: 'It's not ideal finishing up the way Cheltenham went so I will give the Grand National a rattle' 

'I have about as much respect for Michael O'Leary's opinion as he has for my opinion' - Davy Russell hits back 

Gigginstown owner Michael O'Leary criticises Davy Russell's decision to return to riding 

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