Paul Carberry's popularity was always evident - here he signs an autograph at Fairyhouse.

Paul Carberry retires from race riding

Ratoath jockey Paul Carberry has announced his retirement from race riding due to an ongoing issue with a leg injury.

The popular jockey, now based at Oberstown, Tara, fractured his left femur in a fall from the Noel Meade-trained Rich Coast at Listowel last September and there was another setback during the recovery process.

Carberry had a long association with the Castletown trainer and he was the champion Irish jump jockey in 2001/'02 and 2002/'03.

Carberry partnered the Meade-trained Sausalito Bay to victory in the 2000 Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham which was the Castletown man's first winner at the Festival.

He was also the regular partner of Harchibald, also trained by Meade, and may be best remembered as the horse that 'nearly won' the Champion Hurdle only to go down to Hardy Eustace in the 2005 thriller.

Paul Carberry's final Grade One win was for Gordon Elliott with Don Cossack in the 2015 Punchestown Gold Cup.