New smile on the face of the man with the most famous teeth in racing

There's a grin on Liam Treadwell's face as he reflects on the positives that came out of his demanding and perilous life as a jump jockey. "A new set of teeth," beams the recently retired rider, flashing the gnashers he got for free after his rather gappy and asymmetrical old ones were ridiculed by Clare Balding on national TV in a notorious exchange.

Almost 13 years in the saddle may seem a high price to pay for complimentary orthodontic work, but the 32-year-old, who called a halt to his career last week, is happy with the bargain and even a little bit sympathetic toward the firm that stepped in to give him the makeover after his 100-1 Grand National success on Mon Mome in 2009.

"I'm not sure the dentists who took the job on knew what they were letting themselves in for," he says, with a smile most unlike a jockey's, "but the teeth have survived the nine-year journey since then and are still intact, which is a big plus."