One of Clive Cox's stable stars Golden Horde has been retired at the age of three after picking up an injury in his tendon which would have seen him out for some time.
The three year has been a star sprinter for the yard that has also had Harry Angel and his father Lethal Force and this colt if winning this race will be put in the same bracket as them.
As a juvenile he landed the Group Two Gordon Stakes and then went on to finish a narrow second in the Middle Park Stakes to Earthlight.
He came on a huge amount during the winter and showed that when landing the Group One Commonwea;th Cup at Royal Ascot, which turned out to be his best day on the track.
He stayed on well for third in the July Cup at Newmarket and although fading late on in the Prix Maurice De Gheest he showed that he still held bundles of ability when placing in the Sprint Cup at Haydock on his final start.
(Credit ATR) Cox said: “He suffered a tendon issue that proved to be longer term than first realised, so rather than miss a complete season it was with reluctance that it was decided to retire him to stud.
'Rather than miss a complete season it was with reluctance that it was decided to retire him' - Golden Horde is another off to stud, report @PARacing pic.twitter.com/R1NLqtQWbb
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 19, 2020
“He was the best horse owned so far by HH Sheikh Sultan Al Deen bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa, who has been deeply involved with all decisions regarding what is best for the horse.
“We had hoped to finish this season on a high in the Champions Sprint at Ascot last Saturday, but it wasn’t possible.”
Cox was very much looking forward to keeping the sprinter in training for next season with some huge aims in the six furlong division, but now he will have to rely on his other crop of sprinters.
He added: “It was a premature close to his racing career, and everyone was looking forward to his four-year-old season.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to train some top-class sprinters, most recently Harry Angel, but Golden Horde had all the physical attributes to maintain his progress – plus a wonderful temperament.
“He danced every dance, no matter what the course or ground, and was a model of consistency at the highest level.
“We will all miss having him around, and I hope he will be of interest for the next chapter in his life but greatly look forward to handling his progeny.”
It is unsure where he will stand at stud with plenty of smart options for the Group One winner.