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Sea the Stars, who secured his place among racing’s all-time greats when he powered his way to a thrilling two-length victory over Youmzain in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) Oct. 4, has been retired to stud.

The announcement that the 3-year-old son of Cape Cross   will not go for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) was made just before 1 p.m. in Ireland by trainer John Oxx.

“It has been decided after discussions with Mr. Christopher Tsui (the horse’s owner) that Sea The Stars will not take part in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita on Nov. 7,” Oxx said. “He’s had a long season and has been in regular fast work from March 3, with his final workout on Oct. 2. He’s been in intensive training for seven months with only a three-week break after the Eclipse Stakes (Eng-I) at the beginning of July.

“We feel it is unfair to keep him going any further given his unprecedented record of achievement in the last six months. He’s come out of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) in his usual good form. He is fit and healthy and has been cantering since the race.

“He is now retiring from racing, but I have no information on stud career details and an announcement will be made at a much later date when plans have been finalized,” he said.

Sea The Stars, the runaway leading candidate for Cartier Horse of the Year honors in Europe, is six-for-six this year, taking the continent’s top prizes. He began the year with a victory in the classic stanjames.com Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) at a mile at Newmarket, then won the 12-furlong Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-I). This summer, he annexed the Coral-Eclipse (Eng-I) at Sandown, the Juddmonte International Stakes (Eng-I) at York, and the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-I). He completed his career Oct. 4 with an emphatic two-length victory in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) at Longchamp. This season he has earned $6,824,461.

Last year at 2, he won two of three starts, including the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes (Ire-III).

Sea the Stars has been compared to the leading European greats, with some asserting he is the greatest of all time. His thrilling acceleration, his ability to triumph over distances ranging from a mile to 12 furlongs, his equable temperament, his will to win, and his excellent breeding all helped make Sea The Stars the complete package.

Bred by the Tsui family’s Sunderland Holdings in Ireland, Sea The Stars is out of the blue hen mare Urban Sea (by Miswaki), the dam of six other stakes winners and three champions: Urban Ocean, champion 3-year-old male in Ireland in 1999; Galileo, champion 3-year-old male in England in 2001; and Black Sam Bellamy, champion 3-year-old male in Italy in 2002.

Urban Sea, who died this spring after delivering a colt by Invincible Moment, was champion older female in France following her victory in the Arc, and was honored as Broodmare of the Year in England in 2001.

Courtesy: www.bloodhorse.com

The John Oxx-trained confirmed his greatness with a sixth consecutive Group One triumph. Brilliantly ridden by Mick Kinane, who has been at the helm for all nine of Sea The Stars’ racecourse appearances, the remarkable three-year-old emphatically justified 4-6 favouritism.

Youmzain, ridden by Kieren Fallon and trained by Mick Channon, finished second in the Arc for a third consecutive year.

The Frankie Dettori-ridden Cavalryman (12-1) stayed on for third, but was no match for the mercurial two-length winner.

Oxx said: “(My heart) is still beating fairly slow, I think. It’s wonderful that it’s over - it’s just a great relief.

“It’s wonderful that he’s come through it. He was in a nice position and he just had to step up the gears a bit to get out. Mick would not panic because this horse has the gears.

“That’s what any jockey will tell you, if the horse has the speed and the gears he will get himself out of trouble.”

It was the manner of Sea The Stars’ triumph which made his exploits in France all the more impressive.

Having been very keen, which resulted in him losing ground in the early throes of the race, many observers might have been forgiven for fearing the worst.

Even approaching the top of the home turn, Kinane’s partner was engulfed behind a wall of horses - with Set Sail and Grand Ducal ensuring a generous pace from the head of affairs.

Once the gaps appeared, however, the race changed suddenly.

Stacelita went for the jugular inside the final 300 yards but Sea The Stars had all bases covered under his unflappable rider.

Exhibiting a jaw-dropping turn of foot, the Cape Cross colt scampered clear inside the final 200 yards to easily repel the challenge of the game Youmzain.

Kinane said: “I ended up in a position I maybe didn’t want to, but I didn’t want to risk firing him up.

“They were going a nice pace and I knew I would need a bit of luck in the straight, no matter what happened, but I knew I had the pace to go anywhere I wanted. He’s a phenomenal horse.”

Courtesy: http://www.telegraph.co.uk 

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