Jockey John Lowe dies at 75

English jockey John Lowe

English jockey John Lowe passed away at the age of 75. He was recuperating from a knee replacement surgery in Australia, where he had shifted two years ago to be with his daughter and grandkids. John had a fall last Friday while gardening, was rushed to hospital where he was diagnosed for a stroke, but passed away on Monday. British jockeys wore black armbands in his memory on Tuesday. Such was his bond and association with Indian racing that Indian jockeys may emulate them at the Pune races on Sunday.

John Lowe almost made India his second home after racetracks in England adopted all weather tracks for winter racing, and lit up Indian racetracks at Chennai and Mumbai with his powerhouse riding.

For racegoers in India, Lowe was one of the favourites among the wave of foreign riders who flew in each winter. Lowe rode over 500 winners here, including Classic victories--Indian 1000 Guineas astride Corviglia trained by Imtiaz Sait and Etna trained by Cooji Katrak. Old Mumbai racegoers would remember his sensational ride astride Winning Pretty, Feroz Khan's filly trained by S. Padmanabhan, whom he steered to victory in the Poonawalla Breeders' Multi-Million (Gr 1) in February 1995.

John Lowe rode over 2,000 winners worldwide. He made headlines with Goodbye Shelley in the 1982 Prix Marcel Boussac, and two years later, he claimed the "Cock O' The North" title in 1984 for most winners at northern English tracks--a nickname that stuck for life.

Lowe retired from professional riding in 2000, turned race-reader for the Press Association. Later, he spent years riding out first for Sir Henry Cecil, and later, until 2024, for Roger Varian at Newmarket.

Warm, punctual, and quietly brilliant in the saddle--Indian racing was lucky to have had him for several winters.