Dual Group One Winner Limato Retired

The popular Limato trained by Henry Candy has been retired and will now endure a new chapter in his career as his owner Paul Jacobs thought it was the right time to end the career of the superstar veteran.

The 14 time winner on the flat will now follow in the footsteps of past superstar chasers including Cue Card and Barbers Shop and head to Katie Jerram's acclaimed showing stable in Essex.

Limato had a superb career, lasting all the way to eight years of age and landing a group race in seven consecutive seasons, with his last coming at Newmarket in the Criterion Stakes.

His best wins of his career came in 2016 when taking the Group Prix de la Foret at the Arc meeting at Chantilly and the July Cup at Newmarket with six and seven furlongs proving his specialist trips throughout his career.

(Credit Racing Post) His owner Paul Jacobs said: "He has been an incredible horse.

"He won 14 of his 33 races, he won two Group 1s, three Group 2s, three Group 3s and four Listed races. He has been a horse of not just one lifetime but quite a few lifetimes - and the people involved with him have been spectacular as well."

Jacobs added: "I have been conscious for a year or two that I needed to plan for his future. What has brought the decision to a head is that this year he will only have been able to run twice. That's nothing to do with Covid-19 but the state of the ground. 

"Friday's Challenge Stakes was always going to be his swansong but on Monday he pulled out slightly lame. It would have been so tight to get him to Newmarket and the ground is soft there anyway, so we brought forward his retirement."

Henry Candy has paid a great tribute to his yardstick, with the eight year old giving the trainer some of his best days in the sport over the years.

"He was fantastic on his day, absolutely brilliant," said Candy.

"For me, his most extraordinary performance came in the Two-Year-Old Trophy at Redcar, where he never came off the bridle to win. That was pretty stunning. He was also very impressive in this year's Criterion Stakes, after which I thought he would have a great season.

"He has been a stable star for years and years. He treated every day as if it was his first day in training. He was a real enthusiast who always went up the gallops as though he had never done it before, even though he had been doing it for seven years. He has been a joy to train."