Jack Kennedy's remarkable mental resilience: 'He’s still the same Jack - calm, grounded and hungry' Paddy Flood discusses the mental strength of jockey Jack Kennedy after his four-timer in Fairyhouse on Sunday and the resilience it took to come back from devastating injuries. Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy hit the heights. Four winners on Sunday capped off another standout performance from the pair. Jack Kennedy also reached a major milestone with the 50th Grade One winner of his career. Overcoming adversity "What really stood out for me was Jack himself. When you add it all up, he has probably missed two or three full seasons through injury, including five leg breaks. To come back from that and still be performing at this level is remarkable. When Jack came in off Rollo, you could see the emotion in him. He rarely shows it because he’s such a level-headed young lad. "I was watching at home thinking, “This time last year, he wouldn’t even turn on the TV because his leg was broken.” He was watching those horses run around with Sam Ewing on them, and now here he is, back on top. It had a real feel-good factor to it. "Aside from the horses, seeing Jack there and sound was the highlight for me. I don’t know what one more bad fall would do to him, but he’s still a young man, and he hasn’t changed a bit from when he was 16. He’s still the same Jack - calm, grounded and hungry." Setting the standard "You can see why Gordon loves him so much. It’s no coincidence that every jockey coming up behind him is a good one too - they’re watching him every single day and learning. "It’s exactly how it used to be in Dessie’s yard, where you’d always have six or seven good lads because the top lad set the standard. "It’s great to see Jack back on track and firing. His mental toughness is unreal, and Sunday was proof of just how strong he really is." Watch the full Irish Angle Show
