Racing: Gallagher's riding career ends with 18-month ban

A leading National Hunt riding career ended yesterday, not in action on the green fields of the countryside but behind a damp pavement in a salubrious part of west London.

Dean Gallagher, the reigning Champion Hurdle-winning rider, was banned for 18 months at Portman Square by the Jockey Club's disciplinary committee after testing positive for cocaine at Newton Abbot in September.

The 33-year-old will not be able to reapply for his jockey's licence until 1 May, 2004. In effect, his professional life in the saddle is over. "It is highly unlikely that I will return to race riding," Gallagher admitted, "so today is the first day of the rest of my new life."

And so ends one of the more dramatic National Hunt careers of the modern era. Dean Thomas Gallagher only once rode over 50 winners in a season, in the 1999-2000 campaign, but, as they say in the weighing room, he could get the job done.

Even in the earlier part of his career the Irishman displayed his sang-froid on the big occasion. There were the victories on Couldnt Be Better in the 1995 Hennessy Gold Cup, Royal Athlete's Long Walk Hurdle in 1989 and Star Rage's successes in the 1996 County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Out of the saddle, though, Gallagher's life was less straightforward. In January of 1998 he was arrested and bailed on alleged doping and race-fixing charges. It took 14 months before he was eventually cleared.

Two years later Gallagher's star was high in the sky when he signed a six-month contract in France to ride for top owner Ecurie Zingaro and the champion jumps trainer Jean-Paul Gallorini. That July though came the first thunderbolt when he was given a six-month worldwide ban by France-Galop after testing positive for cocaine on three occasions.

Gallagher appeared to have rescued himself in last March's Champion Hurdle – overshadowed by Istabraq's retirement on the day though the record book states that it was Hors La Loi III and Gallagher who were successful.

Two weeks ago, however, news emerged that two jockeys had tested positive for cocaine. Gallagher put his hands up. "I have put a great deal of effort into my on-going recovery but life is not always as easy as it appears," he said at the time.

Yesterday, Dean Gallagher acknowledged the end. "I can't change the things that can't be changed, but I can change the things that can," he said. "I don't intend to lay down as I have worked hard to achieve my dreams through periods of adversity. I will endeavour to stay in racing as it a sport I respect so much."