'You might come out with £30, which is terrible' - former top apprentice quits

Jamie Gormley, a one-time high-flying apprentice who has found life tougher since losing his claim, has given up race-riding.

After riding 51 winners from 458 mounts in 2018, he has won just four races from only 70 rides this year and admits he is disillusioned by lack of opportunities.

"I'm fed up of grafting and not getting enough for it," said Gormley, who is from Langholm in the Scottish Borders and has been with Dumfries and Galloway trainer Iain Jardine for the last six years.

"It's not the life I want to continue with for the next few years, doing the same thing and not getting anywhere.

"It was a hard decision because I'll obviously miss racing, but I've just turned 30 and I didn't want to keep going and be in my mid-30s and not have something to fall back on.

"It's been a struggle for a while now and I knew the time was coming to say this wasn't the life for me now."

Gormley, who won the Lanark Silver Bell on Sepal and the apprentice handicap at the Ebor meeting on Eeh Bah Gum in his claiming days, added: "I needed to admit what was happening. I wasn't getting the rides and I was fed up with not being where I wanted to be.

Jamie Gormley won the Lanark Silver Bell on SepalCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"I wouldn't mind if I was going somewhere for three or four rides. But say I had one ride at Doncaster: that's four hours drive for me and four hours back, plus two hours there, so that's ten hours altogether and once you've paid for everything you might come out with £30, which is terrible."

Gormley, who is a natural 7st 12lb and has never had weight issues, is set to start working for Morrisons Energy Services this month, with a view to progressing in the field of electrical energy.

Looking back on his riding career, he said: "The first three seasons went well but once I turned professional and lost my claim it got harder. I didn't have the back-up behind me I needed.

"There are lots of happy memories on horses like Sepal and Tor. I had a winner at the Ebor meeting at York and I rode in the Epsom Dash four times, rode at Royal Ascot and in Germany.

"My goal was always to ride out my claim and I did that in fairly quick time. I'm happy with what I've done."

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