#BettingPeople: MICK FITZGERALD

#BettingPeople: Mick Fitzgerald won pretty much every big race in his riding career, including The Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1999 on See More Business and the 1996 Grand National on Rough Quest the highlights of his UK 1303 winners. His career ending fall was in the 2008 Grand National. He has since become a familiar face on our TV screens working for Channel 4 then ITV Racing as well as At The Races and Sky Sports Racing. In this interview, he talks frankly and in places emotionally about the state of racing today and his riding career.

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MICK FITZGERALD (part 1 of 4)

Mick explains that he didn’t ride his ponies to race but jumped at the chance of working in a racing yard. He talks about that first ride up the gallops that changed his life, and what he feels is wrong with racing today.

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MICK FITZGERALD (part 2 of 4)

Mick talks about his TV career, how he enjoys working solo mid-week and the work he puts into it, he talks about his riding career and how he could recall most of his winners. He then talks emotionally about how his career ended and almost his life with it.

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MICK FITZGERALD (part 3 of 4)

Mick talks about an unhappy period in his childhood where he was bullied, but ultimately overcame it by dealing with it in his own way. He talks about the importance of being confident in life and how his parents sacrificed so much so he could achieve his goals. He talks about how his career almost ended before it started.

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MICK FITZGERALD (part 4 of 4)

Mick talks about how things are for jockeys these days and how he enjoys the jockey coaching, especially the mentoring and how jockeys beat themselves up. How the brotherhood of jockeys in jump racing is something special, getting a few bevvies in with the Queen Mother, the Grand National, giving Altior a retirement home and his hopes for the future.

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MICK FITZGERALD #BettingPeople PODCAST