A FORMER jockey who rode Derby winners on the gallops has packed it all in to become a pilot and proudly said: “Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday!”
Josh Crane, 34, rode 2021 Epsom hero Adayar out for top trainer Charlie Appleby every day at his Moulton Paddocks base in Newmarket.
Crane made his big break as a jockey on the Flat and did his training to become a pilot alongside his duty riding out for big-name trainers[/caption]
As a jockey he notched nine winners on the Flat from 2011 to 2014 before becoming a key cog in the wheel for Appleby’s Godolphin operation.
Prior to that he rode work for other big-name trainers Sir Michael Stoute and Saeed bin Suroor.
However, his dream was always to swap saddle for cockpit and now he’s done it after completing his £85,000 training and gaining his pilot licence.
Crane was congratulated by none other than Godolphin’s No1 jockey William Buick after confirming he had left racing behind for an exciting new career.
He posted a photo of himself from the cockpit ahead of his first day working for Jet2.
Crane, 34, wrote alongside the photo: “Yesterday was my last day riding Racehorses with @godolphin, tomorrow I start my flying career with Jet2.
“Horse racing has been fantastic to me over the years.
“I will miss the horses and the team at Godolphin massively, they were so supportive with my career change allowing me the flexibility to retrain as an airline pilot.
“Huge thank you to @jets4jockeys who have supported me in so many ways, always there when I needed help, especially towards the latter end of training, giving me the best possible chance going into my first ever interview.
“Finally the support from my family has been invaluable, the exams and tests are the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I would not have managed it without their full support.
“Super excited for tomorrow. Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday…”
Quite a few jockeys have shown their liking for taking to the skies.
Top Irish trainer Ger Lyons was recently seeing hopping in a small aircraft and flying himself home from Gowran Park.
While jumps jockey Sean Flanagan has his heart said on following Crane’s lead and becoming a commercial airline pilot once he retires from the saddle.
Former Cheltenham Festival-winning rider Flanagan flies himself and fellow jockeys over to Britain more meets regularly.
He said previously: “I’ve taken a bit of stick and I’m a bit of a jack the lad in the car, my driving can be a bit erratic at times so some of the jockeys have said they wouldn’t get in a car with me never mind a plane!
“But when you’re learning to fly it’s all by the book and it’s not something you can really take a chance with, so I like to make sure I do things right.”
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