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Jim Cassidy will be missed by racing more than he will miss it.
That is saying something for a man who has committed his life to the sport since he was 16. But racing is poorer for the retirement of one of its greats.
Life away from the track has started for Cassidy. It will be different but there is a priority - answering thousands of Facebook messages.
It has been important to Cassidy and his wife Vicki that is done because for the past few years they have fuelled the Hall-of-Fame jockey. They promise to get through them all but it will take time.
"I have three different Facebook pages because when you get to 5000 friends you can't get any more," Cassidy said.
"There have been thousands of messages on them and we try to answer everyone. It is something that we want to do and we enjoy.
"There are always some idiots but most of it is good. It is good when you can read things like 'racing will not be the same without you'."
"But it was time."
Cassidy called time on his stellar career on Oaks day in Melbourne and will bid farewell to Sydney on Saturday from the stands rather than the saddle.
"I have had so many big wins in Melbourne at that carnival it just felt right to finish there," Cassidy said. "I didn't want to be the guy that held on and the opportunities were getting less and less.
"I went on my terms. I get to say bye to Sydney on Saturday and most importantly I get to say bye to punters and the fans.
"It is good not riding because I can get around and see people."
His family and friends will have a private function but Cassidy wants to get out and meet his people in the public enclosures.
Vicki made it clear that riding winners was great for her husband but he enjoyed the stories and videos he got from Facebook and making a difference for other people.
"We have always tried to get back to people. It surprises them a lot of the time," Vicki said.
"There are so many people who write to him on Facebook and we have tried to reply and there are a few good stories.
"There is one couple - Michelle and Glen - that we asked to Saturday but they can't make it because of Glen's daughter's 21st.
"Michelle asked us to Glen's 50th as a surprise but we couldn't go. She was so surprised when we wrote back.
"We have stayed in contact, it is people like that make your day."
There is one video, which became a Cassidy favourite, sent to him after he won the Sydney Cup on Grand Marshal of a young fan.
"This kid is on this video and his dad asked 'do we want Bossy to ride our horses?' Cassidy said.
The answer comes "No, we want Pumper."
This is why Cassidy will get to Rosehill at 11.30am: to meet his people.
"They are ones that get to you. They don't know you. They are ones that are fans and know what you ride week in week out," Cassidy said. "I have had people ask what are we going to back now that I'm not riding. I just say I don't know."
He couldn't finish with a winner but there had been many, many of them in his time. There were the 104 group 1 successes, including memorable Melbourne Cup wins on Kiwi and Might And Power in the most contrasting styles.
Kiwi swooping from the tail of the field in 1983, Might And Power leading and taking on all comers. Might And Power also supplied one of two Caulfield Cups - other came from Diatribe - and a Cox Plate.
The Grand Slam of Australian racing was complete when Cassidy won the 2001 Golden Slipper on Ha Ha.
Fittingly Cassidy's final group 1 came in the All Aged Stakes on Dissident, which was crowned horse-of-the-year for last season.
He couldn't land a big one in Melbourne this year but his last group winner, Dawnie Perfect, gave him reason to smile.
"It was for Singo and Clarry [Conners], which was great, it is just a pity she didn't get to the Oaks. They have have been great to me," Cassidy said.
His last Melbourne Cup ride on Grand Marshal almost finished on the ground, when Frankie Dettori pushed out to make his surge on Max Dynamite. But Cassidy doesn't hold it against him.
"We all got back to the room, which was good," Cassidy said. "I don't blame Frankie, I probably would have done the same thing myself.
"I don't know how I stayed up but I did.
"He got his suspension and a fine, that's racing. Those things happen."
He moves on when asked of regrets. The mention of missing a Golden Slipper with Flying Spur in 1995 still burns.
"You miss out on winning rides and move on, you have to," Cassidy said.
