Veteran Lowe calls it a day English jockey John Lowe, the last of a generation of light-weight jockeys, has announced his retirement. Lowe, 50, who enjoyed his first success at Kempton Park on Easter Monday in 1968, has partnered close to 2,000 winners worldwide. He will continue to ride out for Henry Cecil as well as working as a race-reader for the Press Association. 'I was approached in November to start a new career as a race-reader for the Press Association,' he said. 'In December I decided to give myself three months to see if they liked me or I liked them. It worked out well so I didn`t renew my licence when it became due on March 17th. I just let it lapse - I didn`t want to make a big thing out of it.' Lowe reflected on his years in the saddle. He said: 'I had a great time as a jockey. I was very privileged for a light-weight jockey to win a Group One (won the 1982 Prix Marcel Boussac on Goodbye Shelley for Steve Norton), Group races at Royal Ascot, two Cambridgeshires, Group races in France, Italy, Germany and Spain - that wouldn`t happen now. There aren`t the opportunities for light-weights these days. 'For example I won the Doncaster Cup on Protection Racket for Jeremy Hindley and because he was a three-year-old he only had 7st 6lb to carry - that doesn`t happen now. 'I rode close to 1,400 winners in Britain, my 1,000th came on one for John Dunlop at Beverley in the late 80`s and I rode at least 500 winners in India.'
