The enduring charm of the Bangalore Derby

 The Lightweight Who Left a Heavy Footprint

 

By Sharan Kumar

 

The passing of John Lowe in Perth, Western Australia, at the age of 75 brings back memories of one of the more successful and popular foreign jockeys to ride in India during the golden years of winter racing.

 

Lowe died in hospital on Monday after suffering a stroke. He had moved to Australia with his wife Gale in 2024 to be close to their daughter Verity and grandsons, after finally retiring from riding out at Roger Varian's Carlburg Stables in Newmarket. He had spent nearly six decades in the saddle.

 

For Indian racegoers, however, Lowe will be remembered particularly for the years he spent riding in India, where his lightweight and riding ability made him a regular and successful visitor.

 

Essentially based in Mumbai, Lowe travelled to the other major racing centres whenever the big races were at stake. His record in Indian classics and major races was impressive. He rode Coviglia for Imtiaz A Sait to victory in the Indian 1000 Guineas in 1985 and won the same classic again in 1991 on Enta for C D Katrak. In 1993, he partnered Super Brave to victory in the Indian 2000 Guineas before finishing second on the same horse in the Indian Derby for Imtiaz Sait. Lowe also rode Birthday Girl to victory in the South India Derby at Chennai.

 

Lowe also rode Ponta Delgado for Imtiaz Sait and Winning Pretty for S Padmanabhan to victory in the Poonawalla Multi Million at Mumbai, now a Grade I event. He won the Indian Oaks in 1991 on Majestic Eagle for Uttam Singh and went on to ride a number of Group race winners at India's major racing centres.

 

For the racegoers, Lowe was a jockey whose name on a race card invariably attracted attention. His horses often produced positive results, and he developed a reputation for getting the best out of his mounts. Trainers valued him not only for his riding but also for the quality of his feedback after a race.

 

That was hardly surprising given the experience he brought with him. Lowe rode more than 2,000 winners worldwide. Among the highlights of his international career were the Cambridgeshire on Mellottie, the French Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac on Goodbye Shelley and the remarkable achievement of riding Mountain Cross to two victories at Royal Ascot in the same week in 1978.

 

In 1984, he was crowned the Cock O' The North, awarded to the jockey with the most winners at the northern tracks during the Flat turf season. By the time he arrived in India, therefore, Lowe was not simply a lightweight jockey looking for winter rides. He was an accomplished international rider bringing considerable experience to Indian racing.

 

His career after retiring from professional race-riding was equally remarkable.

 

Lowe retired from race-riding in 2000 and subsequently worked as a race-reader for the Press Association while continuing to ride work for Sir Henry Cecil. He had the privilege of sitting on some of Cecil's outstanding horses, including Oaks winner Reams Of Verse, Sussex Stakes winner Ali-Royal and Dr Fong.

 

Lowe once recalled that the best horse he rode at Cecil's yard was Fleetwood, whom he believed would have won the 2000 Guineas but for putting his foot in a hole on Warren Hill.

 

In 2015, Lowe began riding out for Roger Varian at Carlburg Stables, where he spent another memorable nine years before finally hanging up his saddle in 2024.

 

That meant he remained on horseback for almost 60 years.

 

It is an extraordinary length of service to racing and perhaps explains why Lowe fitted so naturally into the Indian racing scene. He was an old-fashioned horseman in the best sense, someone whose knowledge came from thousands of hours in the saddle and an intimate understanding of racehorses.

 

He was also part of an era when foreign jockeys were an important component of Indian racing. During the winter months, more than a dozen foreign riders would come to India. Their presence brought colour to the race meetings, but more importantly, they added a competitive dimension. Indian jockeys had the opportunity to ride against them, interact with them and learn from riders who had competed at major racing centres abroad.

For racegoers, the visiting jockeys became part of the winter landscape. Their names were familiar, their riding styles recognisable and their presence added another layer of interest to the racing.

 

Sadly, that tradition has virtually disappeared. Restrictions over the years have made foreign jockeys a rarity, and with their disappearance Indian racing has lost some of the international character that once made its winter seasons so distinctive. John Lowe belonged firmly to that era.

He came to India with an already distinguished international record, rode its classics and Group races, travelled wherever the big races took him and earned the affection of racegoers and the respect of trainers.

 

For a lightweight jockey, he certainly left a heavy impression.