'Phenomenal' Azamour retired

Azamour has been retired to his owner the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud in Ireland.

The son of Night Shift was third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last Saturday on his final start and ends his career as a winner of six of his 12 races and almost €2.2m in prize money.

As a three-year-old he landed the St James’s Palace and Irish Champion Stakes before producing memorable performances this season to win the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes.

Trainer John Oxx told the Racing Post: “He was such a phenomenal horse and he won over all sorts of distances. I know he got beaten plenty of times, but horses who come from behind like he did are going to run into trouble sometimes.

“He was so tough and reliable. He never let us down.”

Azamour had a troubled run at Belmont Park before finishing with a late burst to get within two lengths of Shirocco and Oxx added: “He was unfortunate not to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf at the weekend.

“He had an inside draw and Mick Kinane had to sit and suffer.

“He got dropped back when everything else of significance was moving forward and that cost him the race.”