Gold Cup-winning jockey Joe Fanning has retired from riding with immediate effect. He rode almost 3,000 winners during his career.Some of the highlights include Group 1 wins with colts The Last Lion in the Middle Park Stakes and Subjectivist. The latter scooped both the Prix Royal-Oak and the 2021 edition of the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.Fanning was most closely associated with Mark Johnston's Kingsley Park base, where he began riding for in 1990, before going full-time five years later. The 55-year-old's career was put on hold when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He had surgery earlier this year and has made a full recovery.In a statement, Fanning said, “After discussing it with my family and close friends, I've decided to retire from race riding with immediate effect.“Although I made a full recovery from prostate cancer at the end of last year, I feel now is the right time, with so much of the current season already behind us.“I've been incredibly fortunate to enjoy a career in the UK since arriving to join Tommy “Squeak” Fairhurst in 1988, and to have ridden close to 3,000 winners worldwide.“There are so, so many people to thank, but it goes without saying that my association with Mark, Deirdre and Charlie Johnston, spanning three decades, has been a huge part of my career and the source of so many memorable winners.“I've been lucky enough to experience countless special days in racing, but The Last Lion winning the G1 Middle Park Stakes in 2016, and Subjectivist's victory in the G1 Ascot Gold Cup in 2021 in Dr Jim Walker's colours, will always stand out.“Looking back, it feels especially fitting that my final ride was a winner for Johnston Racing aboard Loquella at Newcastle last November.“Make no mistake, I'm not disappearing from racing. I'll continue helping my wife, Sarah, with our sales and pre-training business, and I will also carry on riding work at Johnston Racing, where I was this morning.“Finally, I'd like to thank every owner, trainer, stable staff, jockey, racecourse official and racing fan who has supported me throughout my career. I've been privileged to do a job I've loved for so many years, and I'll always be grateful for the opportunities and friendships the sport has given me.”Only six jockeys have ridden more Flat winners in Britain than Fanning, who made the switch to Yorkshire, a place he has called home ever since, in 1988. His first winner came over hurdles at Sedgefield but after a fall at Newcastle soon turned his attention to the level where he enjoyed a fruitful career, becoming one of the weighing room's longest-serving members.Mark Johnston told the Press Association, “The Gold Cup is a very special race to me, and it was just a fantastic ride as was his ride on the horse in Dubai before that. Those I suppose are both relatively recent, but they stick out in my mind as they were very important. They were tremendous rides on Subjectivist but so was the one on The Last Lion when he won the Middle Park on him.“There is normally more credit given for rides when jockeys come from behind and I've never been a jockey, but to my mind it must be more difficult to judge the pace when you have nothing to aim at and doing it from the front and Joe has been a master at judging pace. It's an acquired skill over a long period of time and something we are going to miss.”Professional Jockeys Association chief executive Paul Struthers added, “It's hard to pay a suitable tribute to Joe. To have a career in the saddle for 38 years spanning five decades, to have ridden just short of 3,000 winners and to finish the seventh winning-most jockey in Britain is an unbelievable achievement. He was an amazing judge of pace and also the gentlest of gentlemen–you honestly couldn't wish to meet a nicer man.“The weighing room will be poorer for his absence, but we wish Joe the happiest of retirements from the saddle.”The post Gold Cup-Winning Jockey Joe Fanning Retires appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.