Dubai World Cup winners Prince Bishop, African Story retired

Prince Bishop and African Story, winners of the past two editions of the Dubai World Cup, have been retired from racing and will reside in the Godolphin stables going forward.

The pair of 8-year-old geldings both had their final starts in this year’s Dubai World Cup in March, with Prince Bishop besting Horse of the Year California Chrome by 2 ¾ lengths for the win. African Story was unsuccessful in defending his own 2 ¾-length victory from 2014, finishing sixth to Prince Bishop this year.

It was the fourth World Cup appearance for Prince Bishop and the third for African Story.

Prince Bishop raced for owner Sheikh Hamdan Al-Maktoum, while African Story ran in the Godolphin colors of Sheikh Mohammed Al-Maktoum. Both were trained by Saeed bin Suroor.

"They retire having given the Maktoum family many days of great pride and enjoyment,” said John Ferguson, bloodstock adviser to Sheikh Mohammed. “Sheikh Mohammed felt it was the right thing to retire them from the racetrack but not to abruptly end their involvement in day-to-day activity in the stable, which they enjoy immensely.

"I am not sure of the logistics as yet, but they will be in one of the Godolphin stables and in all probability will be ridden every day in the immediate future," Ferguson continued.

Prince Bishop finished his career with 11 wins in 28 starts for earnings of $7,061,632. The son of Dubawi’s seven graded stakes victories also include the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 and the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 in the U.A.E., the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris and Group 3 Prix du Prince d’Orange in France, and two editions of the Group 3 September Stakes in England.

Bred in Ireland by Thurso Limited, Prince Bishop is out of the unplaced Prospect Bay mare North East Bay, and he is the clear standout from the dam’s five winners from as many runners.

African Story won eight of 21 starts for $7,865,831 over six years of racing. The Pivotal gelding won the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3, the Group 2 Godolphin Mile, and two editions of the Group Burj Nahaar in the U.A.E. He was also multiple Group 3-placed in France.

African Story is a British Godolphin-homebred, out of the Irish stakes-placed Gone West mare Blixen, who is the dam of five winners from six foals to race. His second dam is the Grade 1 winner Danish.

"They were very tough and reliable racehorses,” bin Suroor said. “Both geldings, they could adapt quickly to their environment no matter where in the world they were taken to race. The fact that they could each compete in top races on Dubai World Cup night four years on the trot says a lot for their class and durability.”