Wicklow jockey Shane Jackson virtually dropped into Friday Night Racing on Off The Ball from the other side of the world this week.

Jackson has left the garden county for Warnambool, one of the few places in Australia to have horseracing over jumps.

At times it's not too dissimilar to home in that they get "soft ground in the winter," and Jackson says, "it's a lovely place to live." as he resides just minutes from the beach although the sea is "Baltic."

Grand Annual

The Grand Annual is an iconic jumps race, the longest in Australia. It's is the most sought after prize in Australian jumps racing.

Jackson won The Grand Annual for the first time last week on board a horse called Ablaze, for trainer Cieron Maher. "The one race I really wanted to win," says the jockey.

The race was run behind closed doors, meaning Shane's family were not present for what would be the biggest day of his career in his adopted home. Jackson's neighbour captured the emotion what the win meant to his wife Lauren.

"It would bring a tear to a glass eye!"

Watch an emotional moment as @jackson_sw's wife and son watch him win The Grand Annual in Australia.

Shane joined @gergilroy & @Ui_Maine on Friday Night Racing!@HRIRacing #EveryRacingMoment

FULL CHAT: https://t.co/06naMjEmfa pic.twitter.com/2OTM3vJLEW

— Off The Ball (@offtheball) May 8, 2020

"It would bring a tear to a glass eye," said Shane of the video, "It went viral really."

"It means a lot to have that support at home. When they are at the races the support is the same, but when you see it on video you realise how excited Lauren and the kids get about me getting the results and it pushes me to make them proud."

Ger put it to Shane that he is part of a bigger deeper thing, where sportspeople have to be inherently selfish. They have to make sacrifices to ensure they are fit to go

"No people will tell you, but it's not until you see it like that, you realise how emotional people can get."

"I get grumpy when I lose weight and can be a pain in the backside to live with," admitted Jackson.

Ger was clearly emotional and affected by the video, showing that it is an example of how a sportsperson can see that they are not being selfish.

Those hours on the road or managing diet and early nights are for something more than just the athlete.

The sacrifice is for the whole family, who are emotionally invested in the whole process. They agreed it was a "beautiful thing."

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