Jockey Steve Drowne retires a winner

Multiple Group One 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 One-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 One 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.