Jockey Ryan Hatch forced to retire due to injury
Nigel Twiston-Davies, who supplied most of Ryan Hatch's winners, has lamented the loss of the 24-year-old jockey to the weighing room.
RYAN HATCH has been forced to retire from the saddle on medical grounds.
The 24-year-old jockey has not ridden since fracturing vertebrae in a nasty fall from Cogry at Cheltenham in December 2016.
Hatch was hopeful of returning to the track eventually but the damage to his spinal column was too severe.
He retires with two Cheltenham Festival wins to his name, both for loyal supporter Nigel Twiston-Davies.
He was victorious on Same Difference in the 2013 renewal of the Kim Muir, but better was to come in 2016 in the shape of a Grade 1 Festival win in the RSA Chase on Blaklion.
Twiston-Davies, who provided Hatch with a large proportion of his winners, said: "We had a close association with him. It's terrible news.
"He was very good and was just at the beginning of what would have been a very successful career, I'm sure of that.
Templegate's Treble
NAP 4.45 Chelmsford - Canford Thompson: 'Really unlucky not to win at Wolverhampton last time. This looks easier and he's only 1lb higher in the weights'
NEXT BEST 4.00 Lingfield - Smiley Bagel: 'Relished every yard of the 1m4f trip last time and he looks well handicapped still'
TREBLE 3.15 Chelmsford - Gala Celebration: 'Ran his best race for ages on debut for Ian Williams last time'
"I'm not sure what he's going to do next. I don't think he has a clue what he's going to do next.
"He's gone skiing so he might give it some thought after that, I imagine."