Jason Weaver (jockey)

Jason Weaver (born 9 February 1972) is a former British flat racing jockey who had much of his major success in the mid-1990s. In total, Weaver rode more than 1,000 winners in a career which spanned fourteen years.^[1] Since retiring he has worked as a presenter and pundit, and currently works on ITV Racing and Sky Sports Racing.

Biography[]

Weaver began his career in 1989 with Luca Cumani and became champion apprentice in 1993 with 60 winners.

Later he moved to Middleham to become a stable jockey to Mark Johnston.^[1] However, this was achieved over a full calendar year including all-weather racing in winter, a tabulation not used for the jockeys' title in most other years. He won the 1995 Ascot Gold Cup on Double Trigger and the 1995 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp on Hever Golf Rose. A year later at Royal Ascot, Weaver won the St. James's Palace Stakes with the Mark Johnston trained Bijou d'Inde.

In 2002, Weaver announced his retirement as a jockey at the age of 30, citing problems with keeping his weight down the major issue.^[1] However he was keen to stay in the sport, seeing his retirement as a jockey as a way forward in other management and training areas of the sport. He works as a presenter for the television horse racing channel Sky Sports Racing.

However, in 2006, he announced his comeback, despite a significant weight gain. It would be only for a single race, though.^[2] The match was the , an annual prelude to the Shergar Cup at Ascot between two of the world's premier jockeys. The 2006 contest was between Jason Weaver, who represented the Great Britain and Ireland team, and Michael Roberts, who served as the Rest of the World team manager. Riding , the win was secured by Jason Weaver, who said afterwards, "Ascot was a lucky track for me when I was riding so it is great to have ridden a winner on the new course."^[3]

References[]