England's super stayer Stradivarius calls it a career

Stradivarius, who put together a legendary career as a stayer in England and France, has been retired and will enter stud next year at the National Stud in Newmarket, England.

Stradivarius, an 8-year-old by Sea The Stars, had been sidelined with a bruised foot last month. A slow recovery ultimately led owner-breeder Bjorn Nielsen to declare the horse’s retirement.

“He has been trotting and cantering, but it has taken longer to get over the bruised foot than we thought,” Nielsen told the Racing Post. “We felt it would be unfair to ask him to come back again as a 9-year-old next season after his enforced time off.

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“It has been a fairytale from start to finish. Until this setback, he had never been medicated, and had never missed an engagement through injury. He had great presence when he went to the races, which the crowds loved, and his overall soundness was rare to see in any horse – never mind one of his age. He is a tribute to John Gosden, who has trained him so brilliantly for so long.”

Stradivarius earned $4,462,835 while putting together a record of 35-20-5-5. His remarkable 18 group stakes victories, at distances up to 2 1/2 miles, were highlighted by three wins in the Group 1 Gold Cup at the Royal Ascot meeting in 2018, 2019, and 2020. He also won the Group 1 Goodwood Cup in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, and the 2018 British Champions Long Distance Cup.

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