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So You Think retired ahead of Eclipse bid
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| So You Think will not get a chance to defend his title in the Eclipse
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) |
Dual hemisphere star So You Think was retired Thursday after pulling muscles
in his hind quarters ahead of his planned last outing in Saturday's Group 1
Eclipse Stakes at Sandown. A champion three-year-old and miler in Australia and
highweighted older horse in Ireland last term, the dark bay son of High
Chaparral will enter quarantine on Saturday as originally planned and will stand
at Coolmore Australia at a fee of A$66,000.
"It's a big disappointment that he'll miss the Eclipse, but he's had a
wonderful racing career and now it's time for him to shine at stud," the
operation's Tom Magnier said. "His book reads like a who's who of all the best
mares and breeders, so he'll get the best possible start."
In line for a bid to record a repeat success in the Sandown highlight before
the injury, the six-year-old made his mark on the international scene with five
Group 1 wins apiece in Australia and Europe, and had annexed the Group 1 Prince
of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot in his last start on June 20.
Purchased for $NZ110,000 at the 2008 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling
Sale, So You Think raced in the colors of Malaysian billionaire Dato Tan Chin
Nam and Tunku Ahmad Yahaya, and was initially trained by Bart Cummings. He
became only the third three-year-old since 1995 to win the Group 1 Cox Plate in
only is fifth career start and also took the following year's edition of Moonee
Valley's feature after also annexing the Group 1 Underwood Stakes and Group 1
Yalumba Stakes at Caulfield.
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Further glory at the highest level followed in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes
at Flemington just a week after his second Cox Plate victory and that was
followed by a third placing in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup. That proved to be So
You Think's finale in Australia when it was announced that Coolmore had
purchased a majority interest and he was transferred to Ballydoyle.
The bay six-year-old began his stint in Ireland by registering easy wins in
the Group 3 Mooresbridge Stakes and Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh
last May before his well-documented defeat in the 2011 Prince of Wales's.
Rebounding from that dip in fortunes to capture the Eclipse and Group 1 Irish
Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, he then suffered four reversals in succession
when fourth in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, runner-up in the Group 1
Champion Stakes at Ascot, sixth in the Breeders' Cup Classic and fourth in the
Group 1 Dubai World Cup.
So You Think regained the winning thread in impressive style in the latest
renewal of the Tattersalls Gold Cup before his return to Royal Ascot to settle
scores. He retires as the winner of 14 of 23 starts and just over £5million in
prize money.
"So You Think is an extraordinary horse and it was a real privilege to have
had him here at Ballydoyle on loan from Australia," trainer Aidan O'Brien said.
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