'I thought 'I can't do this'. I was so far gone, I just snapped and gave up'
Andrew Dietz talks to a jockey seizing a second chance after weight issues
December is traditionally the month of excess, but Ryan Mania has invested far too much to succumb to temptation.
The jockey, who turned his back on the sport just 18 months after winning the 2013 Grand National on Auroras Encore, has reinvented himself for his comeback, which was going well even before Yorkhill took him to a remarkable new high with his 66-1 win in Saturday's Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle.
It has been just over a year since the Scotsman came out of retirement to ride again, five years on from quitting the saddle following a gruelling battle with the scales, with a strict diet and exercise regime underpinning his fresh approach to riding.
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Copy- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’
- 'He must have his breakfast earlier than Willie does' - Patrick Mullins goes behind enemy lines at Gordon Elliott's yard
- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’
- 'He must have his breakfast earlier than Willie does' - Patrick Mullins goes behind enemy lines at Gordon Elliott's yard