Paul Kelleway brought the curtain down on a 40year career in racing in fitting style when saddling his last runner to triumph at Newmarket yesterday. He ensured he headed into retirement on a winning note when producing Dovedon Star to land the Equity Financial Collections Handicap.

In two weeks time Kelleway, 57, flies out to Spain with wife Gillian for good. He has sold his Newmarket stables to Jeremy Noseda but will leave son Anthony to embark on his own training career at nearby Charnwood Stables, where daughter Gay started.

Dovedon Star, who beat Mithak by a length and a half, scored at the scene of his first group victory in the 1978 Sun Chariot Stakes with Swiss Maid.

In all he trained seven Group winners - he rated French Oaks heroine Madam Gay the best of them - while as a jump jockey he won the Champion Hurdle twice on Bula and the Gold Cup on What A Myth.

"This is a nice way to finish things off. I've had 20 years as a jockey and 20 as a trainer," he said.

"I've got no doubts about retiring. I've been there, done it. There are other things to life than racing.

"I'm going to try to get my golf handicap down, learn to sail, grow oranges, press wine, and drink some of it as well.

During a colourful career Kelleway proved adept at unearthing a star from his small team and Vic Soane, an old riding rival of his, has discovered one of his own in My Best Valentine.

The seven-year-old earned Soane his biggest success as a trainer when producing his customary late burst to collar Bollin Joanne in the Bedford Lodge Hotel Bentinck Stakes.

David Loder hopes to cushion the loss of Embassy and Starborough to Godolphin by turning Lucayan Indian into a top prospect.

The colt continued to fulfil those expectations with victory in the Houghton Conditions Stakes, beating Astrologer to complete a Kieren Fallon double.