Ken Doherty has revealed how he was once mistaken for legendary jockey Charlie Swan at Dublin Airport.

The Dubliner was flying from the capital to England back in 1997, the year that he won the World Snooker Championship, when he was stopped by a group of women.

He told Racing TV: "One of the times going back and forward in 1997, I was accosted by a couple of young girls at the airport looking for my autograph and they said have you got any tips for today.

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"The Derby was on that weekend and I said I'm off to a snooker tournament. 'Ah Jaysus', she says. 'We thought you were Charlie Swan'.

"I told Charlie Swan that, he cracked up, he loved it."

Swan was champion jockey for nine consecutive years and rode the great Istabraq. He was the leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival twice.

Charlie Swan
Charlie Swan

Doherty booked his place in the Northern Ireland Open last week with a dramatic 4-3 win over Liam Highfield. He faces Ian Burns on Tuesday at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

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