Leading owners in the UK & Ireland, Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, have moved quickly to replace the now-retired Daryl Jacob and bring in a new jockey to ride their collection of horses.
JJ Slevin is the man to take over, the obvious appointment given that he has deputised on their runners quite a few times over the past 12 months, notably in Ireland when Jacob has opted not to travel across.
In the release from them, they noted that Slevin would become their number one jockey and that his primary responsibility moving forward would be to ride their horses in both the UK and Ireland. This will mean that we should see him on the UK shores far more often than we currently do, a big chance for him to show his skills to fans here.
Slevin Lands New Role after Festive Grade One Double
The timing of this appointment has come on the back of an excellent festive period for Slevin. He returned from injury in December but not in time to ride Banbridge for Joseph O’Brien at Kempton, with O’Brien opting for a different partner for the horse, which would, of course, win.
However, that didn’t stop him from having a strong festive period himself, with two wins at Grade One level in Ireland, further showcasing his talents as one of the leading riders in Ireland.
Well done to JJ and he must be licking his lips with the quality of horse that he is set to ride https://t.co/a7X48RbkbR
— Johnny Dineen (@JohnnyDineen) January 2, 2025
He rode both Solness and Home by The Lee to success in his native Ireland, making up for the ride he missed at Kempton and setting him up nicely to go into the new year in form with a new partnership.
While predominantly riding in Ireland, he’s been involved in many big races and is seen by many as one of the most respected riders in Ireland, part of the core of those who compete at the top of the sport regularly.
But what he will have to do with this new role is ride over to the UK a lot more. This will include him learning some tracks that he’s maybe not ridden at too many times before, so there are likely to be new tests ahead for him, and not just at the big meetings where he’s been before.
Daryl Jacob Retires and Lands Grade One on Final Weekend
41-year-old Daryl Jacob has decided to step away from racing, and after winning a Grade One contest on the final weekend of his career in the saddle, he said he was sure he’d made the right decision.
Impaire Et Passe was the winner for him, landing the Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick to make it two from two over fences. A day after, his final ride would come on Mr Percy in the listed handicap hurdle at Leopardstown, where Jacob would cross the line in 12th.
Alongside riding a Grade One winner on his final weekend, Jacob also reached the 1000 winner mark in November at Ayr, something else he wanted before retiring.
As for the future, Jacob has spoken about his hopes to remain in racing, working with the runners that Munir and Souede send out, as well as hoping to do some TV work alongside that, so we may be seeing plenty more of him, just not in the saddle.
