Godolphin retires a champion, Blue Bunting

English champion Blue Bunting has been retired after injuring herself en route to a start in the March 31 Dubai Sheema Classic, Godolphin announced Wednesday.

A 4-year-old Dynaformer filly, Blue Bunting will be bred to Darley stallion Street Cry.

Godolphin’s statement said Blue Bunting sustained a leg injury while preparing for her race at the Dubai World Cup Carnival.

“Because Blue Bunting would have needed a long period of recuperation before coming back into training, the decision has been made to retire her to stud for an early covering,” Godolphin’s racing manager, Simon Crisford, said.

Bred by Brad Kelley, Blue Bunting won the English 1000 Guineas, Irish Oaks, and Yorkshire Oaks last year before being named England’s highweighted 3-year-old filly at 11 to 14 furlongs. She also was a stakes winner at 2 in 2010. She retires with 5 wins and 1 second-place finish from 8 starts and has $1,066,879 in earnings.

A $200,000 Saratoga select yearling, Blue Bunting is out of the unraced Linamix mare Miarixa, who most recently sold for $1.2 million to Blandford Bloodstock at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton November mixed auction. The mare was not in foal.