Jockey Steve Drowne retires a winner

Multiple Group 1 winner Steve Drowne has ended his riding career on a high with a fitting victory aboard Met By Moonlight in a handicap at Lingfield.

The 45-year-old won the 2007 July Cup on Met By Moonlight’s sire Sakhee’s Secret and the filly is trained by Ron Hodges, who helped the jockey on the road to a successful career in the saddle.

The multiple Group 1 winning jockey rode more than 1400 winners over 27 years.

“That was nice. Thanks to Ron as well. He said a fortnight ago it would be my last and it’s worked out great,” Drowne said.

“I started with Chuck Spares and then was with Ron Holder briefly. When I moved to Ron’s that’s when I really got going.

“He had a few good sprinters – Hard To Figure and the like. It’s lovely to finish where we started.

“It’s been a long time – 27 years – and that’s it today.

“I’ve no regrets I’ve called it a day. I’m happy with how it’s gone and that I’m finishing in one piece.

“The highlights have to be my Group Ones. Sakhee’s Secret was quite a big one. It was a big sprint race and he was well fancied. I’ve had some big winners.”

His first Group 1 success was Queen’s Logic in the Cheveley Park Stakes in October 2001 and his last came on Jwala in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August 2013.

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