The leading jump jockey Jamie Osborne last night shocked the racing world by announcing that he is to quit race-riding. Osborne revealed his decision in an emotional speech at the jockeys' Lesters awards night in London.
The announcement came just weeks after he was completely cleared over race-fix allegations that had hung over him.
He told his fellow jockeys: "I feel now is the right time to go. I'd like to thank so many people - especially Oliver Sherwood, who has backed me all the way. I'm going to get my teeth fixed now and open an account with Ladbrokes."
Kieren Fallon and Tony McCoy led the winners at the ceremony. Fallon, champion Flat jockey in 1998 with 204 winners - his second successive double century - scooped the Jockeys Association of Britain Flat Jockey of the Year Award for the second successive year.
McCoy, whose 253 winners in the 1997/8 jumps season smashed the previous best of 221 by Peter Scudamore, took the Jump Jockey of the Year Award - again retaining his award.
Neil Pollard, who won the Tote Cambridgeshire Handicap on Lear Spear, was voted Apprentice Jockey of the Year and Robert Thornton took the Conditional Jockey's Award.
The Flat and Jumps Rides of the Year went to Darryll Holland for his memorable Goodwood Cup win on Double Trigger and to Brian Harding, who won last year's Queen Mother Champion Chase on the ill-fated One Man.
