Mamma Mia! Here we go again – Paul Fitzsimons resumes riding in Sweden
Anyone perusing Sunday's card at Jagersro might have noticed a familiar name in the second race, with former jockey and trainer Paul Fitzsimons back in the saddle.
Fitzsimons, 39, rode nearly 200 winners on the Flat in Britain then turned his hand to training in Lambourn.
Having initially joined Mikael Magnusson as an assistant at Saxon Gate Stables, Fitzsimons took over the licence at the yard but quit in October 2015, blaming rising costs.
But, now living in Sweden, the racing bug has bitten again and Fitzsimons has taken out a riding licence.
"It was Hans Adielsson who put the idea in my head," Fitzsimons said on Monday. "He's a good friend and I was riding out for him anyway. I'll ride a bit for him and whoever wants me really.
"The thing I missed most about the job was being fit – there's nothing like the fitness when you're a jockey. It's fun and it's nice being fit again."
With the Jagersro track close to where Fitzsimons lives, he picks up some rides when required but is not planning a full-scale comeback.
"It's not my main business, I don't live on it," he added. "My main business now is the Immun-Ocean product [horse supplements] and Equissage [horse therapy]. I also have some properties in Britain that I rent out and I do a bit of property development."
In the couple of months since returning to action, Fitzsimons has been placed on a few occasions but is yet to have a winner.
He rode Don't Give In to be fourth for trainer Andrew Kidney on Sunday and thinks the juvenile will go on to better things.
He added: "I found the horse for Andrew as they wanted a two-year-old. He's a nice horse and will do a job in Sweden. I rode him in his barrier trial and he won that and I thought he was good enough to go there for Swedish Derby day and he ran very creditably."
Tom Marquand was also in action on the card, partnering the George Scott-trained Another Batt in the Group 3 Zawawi Cup, finishing down the field.
Fitzsimons said: "He was stationed beside me and I told Tom he was about to get the biggest wake-up call of his life. There are no valets, it's fast and furious, you're on the dirt, so he was well-schooled before he went out."
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