Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National-winning jockey Robbie Power set to move from Ireland to England due to Covid-19 travel restrictions
- Jockey has spent the last three seasons shuttling between Kildare and Dorset
- But the current Covid-19 travel protocols mean that is not possible
- Power rides Tizzard-trained Shybairnsgetnowt at Ffos Las on Thursday
Ireland’s Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National-winning jockey Robbie Power is to base himself in Britain for the foreseeable future.
Power has spent the last three seasons shuttling between Jessica Harrington in Kildare and Colin Tizzard in Dorset, his biggest supplier of mounts.
But Covid-19 travel protocols mean that is not currently possible.
Jockey Robbie Power (above) is to base himself in Britain for the foreseeable future
Power, who was packing for his move on Tuesday, said: ‘What I have been doing is no longer possible. I will have to base myself in England for the majority of the season. I will be able to return to Ireland on days when there are Grade One races, because that is what the restrictions allow.
‘It is probably the most difficult decision I have had to make in racing. I have a young daughter and a wife. With the situation as it is, they can’t travel with me. We have known for a couple of months there was a possibility of this happening, but it is only in the last week I have decided to go. I have been with Jessica Harrington for such a long time and it was not an easy decision.’
Power rides Tizzard-trained Shybairnsgetnowt at Ffos Las on Thursday and will then be in action at Chepstow at the weekend when the season moves up a gear, with Tizzard’s entries including Grade One-winning novice hurdler Fiddlerontheroof in his first novice chase.
