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Laura Pearson pays tribute as Sparks Fly is retired
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Wed 22 Jul 2026
Laura Pearson will “never forget” Sparks Fly after trainer David Loughnane revealed an injury will see his popular 13-time winner bow out after a remarkable career.
Owned by David Lowe, Sparks Fly’s aggressive front-running style would make her easy to spot in her races and she will always be indelibly linked with Pearson, who was in the saddle for 22 of the six-year-old’s 28 starts.
Their partnership yielded 11 victories in tandem, with the daughter of Muhaarar central to the jockey’s fledgling career and one who has helped put the 25-year-old in the spotlight.
Laura Pearson aboard Sparks Fly (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Pearson said: “I’ve been incredibly lucky to bump into a horse like Sparks Fly and they don’t come around very often.
“She’s been a flagbearer for the yard and has single-handedly dragged me to where I am in my career now. I probably owe that I still have a licence to that mare and I think without her I would have hung my boots up a couple of years ago.
“A lot of credit also needs to go to Kayleigh McCammon who rode her every day as she was never easy and always a bit temperamental. I think she needs as much credit as Dave does for training her and I do for holding on to her neck strap.
“I hope in the years to come I sit on lots of lovely horses, but you never forget your first good one and she really took me to some great places and allowed me to play on the big scenes that otherwise I might not have done. She’s been a huge part of my career.”
The final act of the Sparks Fly and Pearson combination came at Epsom on Derby day where the jockey’s enterprising move to stay on the far rail was rewarded with the biggest success of both horse and rider’s career in the Group Three Princess Elizabeth Stakes.
It was a concluding chapter in a journey that has seen triumph on foreign soil on four occasions at Saint-Cloud to accompany the many great days at home, with Epsom a defining victory that would justify connections’ unwavering belief in their horse of a lifetime.
“It’s gutting and I do think she could have won the Group One as she always felt she was improving,” continued Pearson.
“However, it was incredible to win a big race like that before it ended and I would say for the whole team that was the best out of all the winning days we had, it was incredible to finish at the top.”
Sparks Fly winning at Epsom (John Walton/PA)
It is an injury suffered post her win at Epsom that has brought a premature end to Sparks Fly’s career and while her trainer is sad to see the story end on the Surrey Downs, like Pearson, Loughane will always have fond memories of his stable stalwart.
Loughnane said: “We went into that Epsom race thinking she would not get beat and she went out and proved us right and it’s a little niggle she picked up after her race which has ultimately led to the decision to retire her.
“It was just going to prolong her return which would see her effectively miss all her targets for the season so we just decided to let her go out on a high and enjoy her retirement.
“I’m sad it has come to an end and we were chasing the elusive Group One and sadly that won’t happen now, but I couldn’t have asked for a better horse and owner for that journey to happen with.
“She owes us nothing and has been a flagbearer for us for the last few years. She’s taken myself, Dave Lowe and Laura Pearson on a hell of an adventure and it’s gutting it has come to an end, but now we can look forward to her progeny coming through over the next few years.”
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