WALTER SWINBURN, who bounced back from life threatening injury to land the richest win of his career last month, is planning a charity walk in the New Year.

The 35 year old aims to raise money by walking across Ireland in January, just 11 months after he was almost killed in an horrific fall at Sha Tin in Hong Kong.

Swinburn, who sealed an astonishing comeback by landing the Breeders' Cup Turf at Woodbine on Pilsudksi two and a half weeks ago, explained: "I am so grateful for the way the year has gone and the many people who helped make it possible that I want to do something positive to mark it.

"I didn't need the win on Pilsudski to make me realise what a lucky man I am but it made me all the more determined to do something to try to help others less fortunate than myself."

Explaining his choice of venue for the walk, Swinburn said: "It's where I first sat on a horse, where I went to school and it was the family home for many years when my dad Wally was the champion jockey of Ireland. My mum Doreen's born and bred in Ireland and I have always regarded it as my spiritual home."

Swinburn's route from Limerick to Dublin will take in Rockwell College in Cashel where he was educated and is set to end at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin where he visited leukaemia victim John Durkan last weekend.

The hospital will be one of the charities to benefit from sponsorship and donations, along with the Hong Kong fund set up to help local children badly burned in a hill fire who were treated alongside Swinburn and a Cambridge children's ho spice.

Sponsorship details have still to be worked out. Swinburn said: "They will be announced early next month and needless to say I'll be grateful for all the help I can get."