Arc Winner Sottsass Retired To Stud

2020 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass has been retired to stud and his trainer Jean-Claude Rouget believes it is the right decision to immediately end his career on a racecourse.

Having finished third in the race last season and having a fair season to date he went off as the third favourite for the event, but with the testing conditions on offer he handled them best to win the race.

The four year old managed to hang in to the final stages with In Swoop making a late charge up the rail but having won the race by a neck it handed his trainer his first ever win in the race.

The four year old signs of his career by landing three Group Ones including the Prix du Jockey Club, Prix Ganay and obviously the Arc and even though he could have gone on for another season, it is always best to go out on the top.

After his third behind Waldgeist and Enable last season Coolmore bought a 50% share in the son of Siyouni and had a big say in retiring him to stud after the race on Sunday.

(Credit ATR) His trainer Rouget said:“He’s a good looking horse with a good temperament, a classy horse and goes to stud in the best way after a great win in the Arc.

“The decision has been made now as they want to protect him for a stallion career and I think it was best not to go to the Breeders’ Cup as the track would have been too sharp for him.“He is quite a big horse with a big action. It would have been a risk.”

The master French trainer is known setting out patient plans with his horses and it has paid off with this four year old.

“I go slowly with my horses. He was promising after he had a bad trip first time out,” he said.

“He won his second race easily. He had a bad race first time out at three and, after he won his Listed race easily, he won the Prix du Jockey Club.

“The Arc was the target this year. It was not easy with Covid to do good planning, but we do it and we did well.“I am very happy for him not to run again. He was a very courageous horse.”