Martin Dwyer granted licence to ride at Aintree in honour of late father
Derby-winning jockey Martin Dwyer is thrilled to have been granted a jumps licence so he can ride at next week's Grand National meeting at Aintree.
Dwyer is set to partner the Iain Jardine-trained Loud And Clear in the Grade Two bumper on Friday week in honour of his later father.
Loud And Clear, a game winner at Ayr in October, is owned by the Tapas Partnership, a syndicate made up of some of the Dwyer family's close friends.
The rider's father, Martin snr, died in January, aged 63, and was largely responsible for Dwyer, who won the Derby aboard Sir Percy in 2006, becoming a jockey.
Dwyer said: "I got confirmation of the jumps licence on Tuesday and I'm really looking forward to going to Aintree.
"I remember going to Aintree as a lad with my dad and sitting in the field watching the helicopters coming in. To be riding there is going to be pretty special.
"Loud And Clear is owned by a bunch of mates and I think it was actually the night of my dad's funeral that they told me they had this horse going to Aintree and asked if I'd like to ride him."
While riding under National Hunt rules for the first time excites Dwyer, he has no plans to make it a regular thing.
He added: "I can't see myself riding over hurdles, but I could ride in bumpers, I suppose, but we'll just have to see how it goes.
"The partnership that own him have horses on the Flat that I ride and they do have a few store horses coming through as well.
"I don't think Richard Johnson has anything to worry about!"
