'It was fine, it felt like I was never away' - Russell returns at Fairyhouse

According to some websites, the most successful comeback by any musician was Carlos Santana, whose band of the same name were big in the 60s and 70s before disappearing in the 80s. They returned in 1999 with the album Supernatural on which the hit singles Smooth and Maria Maria brought them back to the big time.

Some would say Davy Russell must be supernatural to be doing what he is doing at the age of 43. He survived a serious neck injury that many said would end his career a couple of years ago and now he has ended retirement less than a month into it in order to dig out his old ally Gordon Elliott.

The first stop on the comeback tour was Fairyhouse on Saturday, but there were no real hit singles for him to sing, just a 9-2 shot in a juvenile hurdle which contained an 8-13 favourite and a 6-1 chance in a 3m handicap hurdle.