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Robbie Power and the goggles which saved his career

Celebrated jockey Robbie Power was one of the guests for a special edition of Friday Night Racing...



Robbie Power and the goggles w...
Racing

Robbie Power and the goggles which saved his career

Celebrated jockey Robbie Power was one of the guests for a special edition of Friday Night Racing which previewed the upcoming Punchestown Festival.

The Meath native won his first race in 2001 when he rode 'Younevertoldme' for Jessica Harrington at Punchestown and has since gone on to ride some of the great names in the sport, including 'Sizing John' and 'Supasundae'.

However, a horrific injury almost cut short his career; "I broke my cheekbone and eye socket and had double-vision in my left eye for a good while" he told Ger.

"I rode a couple of times with it and then got a fall one day and it was going to be the end of the road if I kept going so I had to get it fixed.

"The worrying thing about it was not knowing could it be fixed. I went to see Ian Flitcroft in Fitzwilliam Square in his clinic and he found a lens, a prism, that would work. He'd never worked with a jockey before and asked if I'd ever worn protective goggles and I had.

"So he found a prism that would be attached to the inside of the goggle and I went to see Clare Sheehan in the Eye and Ear (Hospital) and she attached the prism to the inside of the goggle and that was great. It worked!

"I was driving home in the car, looking out the goggles and everything was great. I could see - no double-vision and I was down to Jessie's the next morning, schooled over the hurdles and it felt like I'd won the Gold Cup. I could see perfectly straight," he added.

You can watch our full Punchestown Festival 2019 preview above or listen to the podcast here.

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Eye Injury Robbie Power Ruby Walsh Vision