Watch former jump jockey David Casey roll back the years in Hong Kong

You never lose it, they say, and despite retiring more than four years ago, David Casey proved he certainly still has it in and out of the saddle at Sha Tin on Saturday morning when more acrobat than jump jockey on Longines Hong Kong Vase challenger True Self.

Casey, who quit riding in 2015, is now an important part of Ireland's all-conquering jumps trainer Willie Mullins' team and is therefore in Hong Kong to oversee the preparation of the Oscar mare, who can be backed at 12-1 with bookmakers for Sunday's Vase.

That preparation includes riding the six-year-old, but things were more eventful on Saturday when True Self was distracted breaking into a canter and dislodged Casey, who landed on his feet for a perfect ten and soon had things under control before the pair exercised on Sha Tin's all-weather circuit.

The former rider, who rode a hatful of top-level winners for Mullins, including Kempes in the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup, played down the incident.

"It was all fine," said the popular 43-year-old, who came agonisingly close to capturing the 2014 Cheltenham Gold Cup when second aboard On His Own.

"Willie's very happy with her and so am I. Kerrin McEvoy has come in for the ride, he's a top jockey so we're hoping for the best."

Owned by Three Mile House Partnership & Oti True Self Syndicate, True Self won a Group 3 handicap at Flemington on her last outing.

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