News Round-Up:Veteran Staffordshire trainer Reg Hollinshead yesterday led the tributes for Kevin Darley, who will hang up his riding boots at the end of the Flat season on Saturday.
The former champion jockey, who has ridden around 2,400 winners, will bow out at Doncaster's finale at the weekend.
Hollinshead launched Darley's career and provided him with his first winner, Dust Up, at Haydock in 1977.
"He always had natural ability, but was so keen to learn and would always listen. He's looked after himself, so I don't think he's finished just yet."
Explaining his plans for retirement, the 47-year-old Darley said: "It was a very difficult decision to make. But I wanted to go out at a decent level. I didn't want to carry on to a point when I was just making the numbers up."
Recalling the highlights of his career, he added: "Attraction was a tremendous filly. She won the English and Irish 1,000 Guineas and won me five Group Ones.
"I've ridden lots of good horses, but the one that sticks in my mind is Celtic Swing. I was partly responsible for buying the horse with Peter Savill, with whom I had a great association.
"I had been waiting goodness knows how long to win my first English Classic, and thankfully I won the St Leger (with Bollin Eric) for some great people.
"It was a great day and perhaps I went a little over the top celebrating when I went past the post, but you could see how much it meant to me."
Darley has been involved with the Jockeys' Association for some time and is keen to remain involved in racing.
"Obviously, with the chief executive's position being vacant for the last six months, myself and AP (McCoy) did a lot of work with Ann Saunders to keep the ship afloat," he continued.
"If I can still do something for the Jockeys' Association or the BHA, we shall see. I'm going to take some time - I don't know how long, maybe two months - to get race-riding out of my mind, but hopefully there will be something there for me in racing."
Darley, who won the jockeys' championship seven years ago, secured some of his most memorable victories at York, his local track.
Clerk of the course William Derby said: "He had a fantastic record at York and was a great ambassador for racing in Yorkshire."
His highlights on the Knavesmire were when he dead-heated in the Nunthorpe without a bridle on Coastal Bluff (1997) and last year's fairytale ride on Reverence. Bollin Eric's St Leger victory five years ago was unquestionably one of Darley's sweetest moments in the saddle.
In what was a real war of attrition at Doncaster, the jockey coaxed Tim Easterby's tough entire to a power-packed verdict.
"He was a top-class jockey - still is, to be fair," reflected Peter Easterby, father of the Great Habton handler. "We appreciate everything he has done for us, especially in the St Leger on Bollin Eric. He was brilliant that day and was probably the difference between winning and losing."
Meanwhile, Seb Sanders drew level 185 each with Jamie Spencer in the race for the British jockeys' championship. Sanders scored a 9 to 1 double at Kempton last evening when Points Of View, landed the odds in the digibet Nursery and Blackmalkin won the digibet Sports Betting Handicap at odds of 4 to 1.
It had hitherto been a frustrating day for the uncompromising rider, who was out of luck from four rides at Nottingham in the afternoon.The nearest he came to closing the gap was on hot favourite Fajr in the main event on the eight-race card, the Nestle Conditions Stakes.
However, he was beaten into second place by Medicine Path. Spencer was serving the second day of a two-day ban and still leads 185 to 184. He is back today with a double-header at Musselburgh and Wolverhampton, while Sanders is only in action at Dunstall Park. However, the day starts with what could be a crucial inquiry at the British Horseracing Authority headquarters in London in which Sanders will be hoping to recapture his disqualified Newmarket winner from Spencer.
Dylan Thomas features among the acceptors for the Japan Cup later this month. The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner will be on the Coolmore Stud roster for next year, and, while his participation is by no means certain, what was to be his final outing in the Breeders' Cup Turf was effectively wrecked by soft ground at Monmouth Park.
