Grand National-winning jockey Leighton Aspell shares in Melbourne Cup glory

There are retired jockeys who take their time to find a new role for themselves, but dual Grand National-winning rider Leighton Aspell has found instant success as part of Joseph O'Brien's Melbourne Cup-winning squad in Australia, less than nine months after calling time on his career in the saddle.

Aspell was forced by strict raceday protocols to watch Twilight Payment's charge to glory from his apartment near the international training centre at Werribee, a suburb of Melbourne, but was still able to share in the triumph along with the rest of the travelling O'Brien team after a Cup once again dominated by the European visitors.

"It was great because in the lead-up to the Cup Aidan O'Brien had two seconds and we also had a second with Pondus at Bendigo," said Aspell. "We were all hitting the crossbar and everybody was cheering on each other's horses. We ended up with the 1-2-3 in the Cup with Tiger Moth and Prince Of Arran, which was fantastic."

Twilight Payment wins Joseph O'Brien a second Melbourne CupCredit: Vince Caligiuri (Getty Images)

Given he only brought the curtain down on his riding career in February, Aspell is as surprised as anyone at the turn of events that led to him being in Melbourne as part of Twilight Payment's history-making effort.

"I could never have imagined this," said Aspell. "For one thing I'd never been to Australia. Since I started with Joseph I've been having a great time, and he's having a great season.

"I just happened to get the daily ride on Pondus. There were quite a lot of other horses that were on the list for the trip and then when that was refined, Pondus was a late addition. It's great to get the opportunity."

Aspell made modern day Aintree history when winning back-to-back Grand Nationals aboard Pineau De Re and Many Clouds in 2014 and 2015, and his riding talents were quickly snapped up by O'Brien once the 44-year-old elected to move back to Ireland with his family.

Many Clouds and Leighton Aspell conquer Britain's most famous race, the Grand NationalCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

"My wife is English and my three children were at school in the UK but it's just weird the way it happened," said Aspell. "I'd had this property for a few years down on the Tipperary/Kilkenny border, which is 30 minutes from Joseph's [yard] and 30 minutes from Ballydoyle. When I finished riding it just suited all of us to make the move."

Pondus was beaten a short head in the Group 3 Bendigo Cup last month and will bring the curtain down on a successful trip when lining up at Flemington on Saturday.

Aspell said: "Pondus runs in the Queen Elizabeth Cup back at Flemington, along with [the Willie Mullins-trained] True Self, who won it last year and who got knocked out of the Melbourne Cup when Ashrun won a win-and-you're-in race last Saturday.

"There's a $200,000 bonus for any horse balloted out of the Melbourne Cup that can win this race."

One thing Aspell won't be looking forward to is the mandatory quarantine after he and the rest of the O'Brien team fly back to Ireland next Thursday.

He said: "Coming over we had to do 14 days in a hotel in Sydney, which felt like 14 weeks – it was a long, long time."

Read more on Leighton Aspell

Leighton Aspell: a look at his three greatest rides and key statistics

I have no regrets - emotional Leighton Aspell finishes career at Fontwell

Retired jump jockey Leighton Aspell on his life and career

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