Almost four years after waving goodbye to a glittering race-riding career, Charlie Swan confirmed last night he could be in line for a dramatic comeback to the saddle on board Brave Inca in the Kappa Smurfit Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Swan (39), a triple champion hurdle winner with the legendary Istabraq, said he would be interested in riding Brave Inca if both the horse's regular jockey Tony McCoy and Ruby Walsh were unable to take the coveted mount.
"I was speaking to Colm (Murphy) recently and he asked me if I would be interested in riding the horse if Tony and Ruby couldn't. I said I would be," said the former nine-time champion jockey who is now a successful trainer in Co Tipperary.
"I ride out every day and I know I'm as fit now as I was when I retired. But if it does happen, I would say it will be a one-off," added Swan who will be a guest columnist for The Irish Times during the Cheltenham festival.
With Tony McCoy likely to be claimed for the ride on Straw Bear for his boss JP McManus, many race fans expected Ruby Walsh, who rode Brave Inca to win at Leopardstown over Christmas, to take over. However, Walsh could be claimed himself, for the Paul Nicholls-trained outsider Desert Quest.
Brave Inca's trainer Colm Murphy is keen to have the jockey situation sorted out before the horse works after racing at Leopardstown this Sunday and could yet turn to Swan who he knows well from having also worked for Istabraq's trainer Aidan O'Brien in the 1990s.
"I was talking to Charlie at the races one day and he said not to forget him if I was in trouble. I said I wouldn't," Murphy said last night. "He's definitely keen so we will see what happens. I don't think him not having ridden for a while would be a problem, not for someone with his experience who has won three Champion Hurdles already.
"I would like to know what the situation is before the weekend, especially since we are going to Leopardstown on Sunday. To be fair to the horse, I would like that to happen," the Co Wexford trainer said.
Brave Inca is a best priced 4 to 1 second favourite to retain his crown in 13 days' time, behind the English-trained market leader, Detroit City.
Swan was champion jockey for the first time in 1990 and retained the title all the way through to 1998. During a golden career, he rode a total of 17 Cheltenham festival winners and was twice leading jockey at the meeting.
The highlight was Istabraq's three victories in the Champion Hurdle (1998-2000) and that JP McManus-owned horse also won the 1997 SunAlliance. Other highlights included a Champion Chase success on Viking Flagship and another emotional win in the SunAlliance on Danoli.
However, Swan called it a day at Aintree in 2003 with Patriot Games being his last winner.
