How tide turned for Drowne

He may be called Drowne, but the man who is stalking the superstars in the Flat jockeys' table had no hesitation when faced with a sink or swim decision.

Just over a month ago Steve Drowne was getting on with business in his quiet yet efficient way and looking forward to the ride of his life aboard Zafeen in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Mick Channon's colt had carried him to success in Newbury's Mill Reef Stakes last year and came within three quarters of a length of winning this year's 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket before failing to handle gluepot conditions in the Irish Guineas.

Then came a bolt from the blue when Zafeen's owner, Jaber Abdullah, decided that his star miler needed a different rider.

There's nothing new about rich men losing patience when things go wrong in racing, and Abdullah felt Zafeen would benefit from a change in personnel ahead of the biggest meeting of the year.

As it turned out, he was vindicated. Drowne was sitting quietly in a corner of the cavernous Ascot weighing room when Dar ryll Holland replaced him and watched as the powerful colt strode clear of the unlucky Kalaman in a race worth more than £150,000 to the winner.

One of Europe's premier mile races had slipped away - along with a winning percentage of more than £10,000 - and Drowne makes no attempt to hide how he felt.

"I was gutted, especially as I'd done nothing wrong on the horse, and it was very strange watching him win for someone else at Ascot," he said.

"Losing a top ride happens to every jockey at some time, but you just have to come back stronger and for some strange reason I've been making all the right moves since then."

Drowne's mature reaction to losing the ride on Zafeen should come as no surprise to those who have seen his career blossom.

A badly broken left leg sustained at Folkestone three years ago left him with what he described as "my toes facing north, my knee facing south and the rest of me pointing in an easterly direction."

He bounced back and found a potential champion the following season, but fate intervened again when Channon's Cheveley Park Stakes winner Queen's Logic was injured and had to be retired before last year's 1,000 Guineas.

Drowne fought back by recording his first century of winners in 2002 and has progressed again to the point that only Kieren Fallon, Holland, Kevin Darley, Richard Hughes and Eddie Ahern have ridden more winners this season.

Only Fallon and Holland have had more rides and anyone who thinks the rewards that come with being a top jockey are easily earned should take a glance at Drowne's itinerary during Newmarket's July Meeting.

He said: "This is the peak time of the season and if you don't make the most of it then the good rides get away from you.

"Rightly or wrongly, there's no room in your life for anything other than racing, and there is undoubtedly the risk of burnout. Every jockey gets run down at this time of year, but you have to be sensible and use the time off that you do get well.

"Riding winners gives me a massive boost and so does the thought that it wasn't so long ago that I was turning up at the big meetings basically just to make up the numbers."

Drowne did much more than make up the numbers at the July Meeting.

A treble on the first day and a double on the third meant he ended the week as leading jockey and his links with the powerful teams handled by Channon and Roger Charlton promise much for the rest of the season.

"It was great to have two winners at Royal Ascot after the setback with Zafeen and both Mick and Roger have some lovely horses to look forward to," he added.

"Roger has some cracking sprinters this year and Patavellian showed amazing speed when I won the Bunbury Cup on him at Newmarket. He'll go to the Stewards' Cup at Glorious Goodwood next week with a big chance, and Roger also has another good sprinter to look out for in Avonbridge.

"The one I'm most looking forward to from Mick's yard is Silca's Gift. She's already won a Listed race at Royal Ascot, but she's a big, powerful filly who looks sure to get better."

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