Kevin Darley is retiring. The 47 year-old Darley will ride his last race at Doncaster on Saturday, the final day of the 2007 English racing season. Darley has ridden in India.

In 1978, Darley was the leading apprentice rider in England. He was the champion jockey in 2000. He won the French Derby with Celtic Swing. Darley won the English St Leger with Bollin Eric. In 2004, he partnered the Mark Johnston-trained Attraction to victory in the Irish and English 1,000 Guineas, the Coronation Cup and the Sun Chariot Stakes.

“It was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make. I had great expectations as the year began. Some of the better horses dropped off. An injury or two slowed me down. I am not 22 any more. I am 47. I want to leave when I am well. I am calling it a day,” Darley said in a statement.

In the United States, jockey Mark Guidry has announced his retirement. Guidry, 48, is one of 22 jockeys in America to ride 5,000 winners. Guidry’s last day will be at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

Mark Guidry’s mounts earned over $100 million. Guidry rode in Chicago for extended periods. One of his biggest wins was in the Kentucky Oaks in 2006 with Lemons Forever, an outsider. Guidry was victorious aboard Buzzard’s Bay in 2005 in the Santa Anita Derby.

Guidry had intended to retire in August. He changed his mind. Guidry has expressed his desire to be a racing official and go on to be a steward.

Mario Pino, Hard Spun’s jockey this year, reached a milestone on Wednesday. Pino, 46, rode the 6,000th winner in his career. In Wednesday’s first event at Laurel in Maryland, Mario Pino rode Golden Shades, the 6-5 favorite, to victory to reach 5,999. In the seventh race, Pass Play ($8.80) won for Pino. That was win #6,000.

Only the 15th jockey in America to get 6,000 winners, Pino joins elite company. He will now be mentioned in the same breath as Shoemaker, Pincay and Day.

Garrett Gomez is having a sensational year. Gomes is 35. He had two winners in the Breeders’ Cup races this year at Monmouth Park.

Gomes has 69 stakes victories in 2007. That leaves him one shy of the mark set by Jerry Bailey in 2003. There are several stakes races left in Gomez’s riding calendar.

Through Sunday, Gomez’s winners have earned $20,265,691. “I had a good year last year. It has been great this year. It is all beyond expectations.”

Talking about the Eclipse Award, Gomez said, “It is out of my hands. It does not have to do anything with what I think or say.”

Gomes missed 2003 with durg-related problems. He had only 35 winners in 2004.

End of Wednesday in England, Jamie Spencer and Seb Sanders are tied at 185 in the race for leading jockey. Sanders drew a blank at Nottingham in the afternoon. He had two winners in Kempton’s twilight card.

At 7 A M, on Thursday, the British Horse Racing Authority conducts a hearing on a disputed race. Last Friday at Newmarket, Seb Sanders won with Classic Descent in a photo over Black Rain, ridden by Jamie Spencer. After an inquiry, the stewards gave the race to Black Rain. Classic Descent’s trainer has appealed and the appeal is being heard on Thursday.

On Thursday, Jamie Spencer will ride at Musselburgh and Wolverhampton. Sanders will skip Musselburgh but will ride at Wolverhampton. A rule in England says that a jockey cannot ride in more than nine meetings in a week. Both are 5-6. There are three days left in the English season.

The focus shifts to Tokyo where the Japan Cup (dirt and turf) will be run on November 24 and 25.

Hong Kong will play host to an international cast the second weekend in December at Sha Tin Race Course.

Then it is on to India for me. I will be in Mumbai early in January. I am looking forward to attending the big race days in India.

Sources: Sporting Life and NTRA