LIMERICK JOCKEY WESLEY Joyce celebrated his first winner since returning from serious injury yesterday.
Joyce, 20, has gone through a long recovery after a horror fall at Galway in July 2022. The fall caused serious injury to Joyce’s chest and he was treated on track before being transferred to an intensive care unit. He was hospitalised until September ’22 with broken ribs, a punctured lung, broken shoulder and fractured larynx.
He made his comeback at Naas earlier this month, and in Cork yesterday, he enjoyed a long-awaited win on Trueba in the first division of the 7f handicap.
“It’s been a while coming,” Joyce told Racing TV. “I’ve been hitting the crossbar in the past three or four weeks with three or four seconds and a couple of thirds. I was thinking, ‘Jesus Christ, when is the winner going to come?’ But Trueba came through.
💚 Things you love to see . . . Wesley Joyce back in the winner's enclosure.
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 30, 2023
A heartwarming interview with Johnny Ward at @corkracecourse 👇 pic.twitter.com/7guMz8CO1l
“Trueba gave me a winner early in my career, in Limerick, so he’s been a good servant for me. Thanks to Eddie and the team down there, and thanks to everybody else for the support.”
“Since the fall the journey has been hard,” he continued in the heartwarming interview with Johnny Ward, “getting in the gym and doing things but to come back riding is all I ever wanted to do.
“I don’t want to do anything else. I just want to keep riding and whatever happens, happens. I’m so grateful to be here riding, especially riding a winner.”
Thrilled to get back amongst the winners in Cork today - A special thanks to everyone who made it possible 🙏🏼 https://t.co/gBQove1V9q
— Wesley Joyce (@WesleyJoyc50408) August 30, 2023
Joyce said that he’s back to “100 percent fitness” but it hasn’t been easy. “I was told that I’d only have 80 percent of my breathing, so I have to work extra hard on my fitness, which I’ve been doing,” he explained.
“It’s great to have my mother here, it’s her first time to see me ride a winner. She’s happy out and that’s all I want: to make her happy.”
“We’re delighted,” Joyce’s mother, Geraldine, told The Racing Post. “I spent three three months in Galway Hospital with him and prayed every day that everything would be alright. I’m very proud of him.”
- Additional reporting by Press Association
lead by example captain robbie and stop waving your arms looking for fouls.
hush now less of that banter its all a bit of craic and a excuse to get pissed, have the faith there’ll be a few more sessions
We have kept the faith Robbie now get off your arse and repay it!!!
Would have more faith if keane was dropped for shane long.
He just doesn’t have the fitness, while longs height will Benefit that questionable long ball game we play. Unfortunately It looks like he’s starting, cox and himself were training together. Either way come on Ireland
agreed
Time for a reality check here…let’s face it, this Irish team does not have the required quality and technical ability needed to get the results we are all “dreaming” of. At best we are looking at 2 defeats and a draw…but we are there and let’s try and enjoy the occasion…
fk yeah we’ll have a pint, and hope they do well, but they’re awful, the worst team there. As for robbie, hes bloody RETIRED. la galaxy and some trite comment about it just being another game. They will give the ball to Spain again and again and it will b painful. As for people giving thumbs down to comments that aren’t hopelessly optimistic, cop on. You live in a corrupt boghole of a banana republic, getting all teary eyed about a couple of geezers kicking a ball about when your country was sold from under you by inbred turds. Y’all did fk all about that didnt you? Great guys to get behind Ireland when it costs you nothing. Stay in the cowardly herd with your coybig bs. Id rather see them lose and try to play than lose the way they did and will do.
Janey Mac is all I can say to that
I would b a fan of robbies but it’s not all about past achievements he’s not playin well a d should be on the bench
I’ll start too when your on the bench
Joke of a comment, we have very few players that have not only shown commitment to their country from the very start to the very end of their career, not to mention delivered as well when it matters. Keano is without a shadow of a doubt one of them.
Not saying that gives him automatic rights to a start, he knows that himself and said it two years ago. But facts are facts and he gets big big goals in big games.
One word – “Dream”
Well we got there and should be proud of that and as long as they are playing I will believe cmon Ireland I love this country
With a population of 4 million and a semi pro league we’ve always punched above our weight.
All the naysayers said we wouldn’t qualify, now they’re saying we won’t get out of the group, we’ve nothing to lose. COYBIG!
For you its just another game… Its a lot more than just another game to a lot of fans and home and especially away… u should run your socks off and do your best to get a result… at the end of the day it is 11 men against 11 men… i cant see why we cant get a result but we have to go into it with a good attitude and show no fear…. COYBIG
Exactly man.
The fans have more passion than the players.
The last game was actually cringe worthy and extremely frustrating.
They should be destroying themselves out there, giving the cliched 110%.
Robbies 300/1 to score a hatrick v Spain. I heard David Villa and Butragueno are 50/1.
He would have more chance of winning the lotto twice over..
Ireland will lose to spain and italy alike and will go home as predicted by me on th 19th june ,
If you predict it on 19th June it’ll already have happened – what black magic is this?
For everyone who are convinced ireland will lose. 2/7 are the odds for spain to win. You might have to give your bank 24 hours notice if you are withdrawing your life savings for a bet.
We’re still in with a shout i think…
..in 2016..
first you didnt want me to buy the pony, now you want me to bring it back. make up your mind marge…
The faith of what?