Euro Charline retired on eve of Falmouth Stakes

The Group 1 Falmouth Stakes for female milers at Newmarket, England, on Friday lost a leading contender when the Grade 1 winner Euro Charline was retired on Wednesday because of a tendon injury.

The announcement was made by the Team Valor International syndicate, which owns the 5-year-old mare. Euro Charline will be offered at the Tattersalls December sale in Newmarket. Euro Charline suffered the injury while training for the Falmouth Stakes.

Euro Charline won 4 of 14 starts and earned $2,353,010 in a career highlighted by a win in the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington Park. Euro Charline, by Myboycharlie, was based with trainer Marco Botti in Newmarket.

Euro Charline was winless in three starts this year, including consecutive second-place finishes against males in Group 1 races - the Dubai Turf at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates in March, and the Lockinge Stakes at a mile at Newbury Racecourse in England in May.

The absence of Euro Charline leaves the $258,720 Falmouth Stakes with a field of seven, including 2015 winner Amazing Maria.

A 5-year-old mare trained by David O’Meara, Amazing Maria was sixth behind Tepin in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 14. Owned by Robert Ogden, Amazing Maria tries to win her third Group 1 race in the Falmouth Stakes. She won the Group 1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville, France, last August, but is winless in her last three starts.

In the 2015 Falmouth Stakes, James Doyle rode Amazing Maria. This year, Olivier Peslier rides Amazing Maria in the Falmouth, while Doyle rides Always Smile, who finished third behind Falmouth entrant Usherette in the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 15.

Always Smile, Usherette, and Very Special, who was sixth in the Dubai Turf, give Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing a formidable team for the Falmouth. Another contender is Irish Rookie, who was second in the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes at Ireland in May, and 12th of 13 in the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park on June 11.