The jockey who rode Manx punters’ favourite Many Clouds to victory in the Grand National has announced his retirement from racing.

A betting shop in Ramsey famously ran out of money on the Saturday night in 2015 because so many people in the north of the island had backed the horse owned by local resident Trevor Hemmings.

Jockey Leighton Aspell enjoyed his finest moments, highlighted by back-to-back Grand National wins aboard Pineau De Re in 2014 and Many Clouds 12 months later.

He said: ’Winning the Nationals back-to-back would be the highlight, along with the Hennessy (aboard Many Clouds), but I have had many other great winners for (trainer) Oliver Sherwood.

Though Aspell is soon to be hanging up the saddle, he hopes to continue working within racing in the future.

Leading the tributes to Aspell was Oliver Sherwood, the man that trained Many Clouds and supplied him with numerous other notable winners.

He said: ’He told me a few days ago. When your mind’s made up like that there’s no point in try to persuade him otherwise.

’He’s 43, rising 44. We’ve had 16 pretty good years together. We were counting up and he’s ridden nearly 250 winners for me. I think it’s one of the longer associations in National Hunt racing.

’I can’t talk highly enough about the man. He’s a proper professional, a true horseman, a real team player. He’ll be sorely missed and I wish him all the best for the future.

’As for highlights - it’s Many Clouds by a country mile. He was the only man who ever rode him or schooled him at home and rode him on a racecourse. That’s quite unique in this game.’