Constitution River retired following veterinary examination
CLASSY OPERATOR: Constitution River looked a special talent when landing the Listed Dee Stakes, Prix du Jockey Club, and Eclipse earlier in the season. Picture: Healy Racing
Eclipse winner Constitution River has been retired from racing and will take up stud duties at Coolmore after a tendon issue was picked up in a routine end-of-season veterinary examination.
Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old won the French Derby before adding the Sandown Group 1 to his CV and had been earmarked for a third season on the track.
But the Ballydoyle trainer explained the sudden retirement in a statement on www.coolmore.com which read: “It’s incredibly disappointing. At the end of every year we do a routine veterinary MOT on all the horses and unfortunately they found a lesion on his left-front tendon.
“There was no guarantee he would be ready for his major targets next year and we never want to push them or take any chances, so the right thing to do is retire him now.
“To be honest, he was the horse we were most looking forward to staying in training next year. Both ourselves and Ryan (Moore) thought he was one of the most brilliant three-year-olds we’ve had here, but that’s life unfortunately, and he has done more than enough to earn his place in the stallion yard.”
Constitution River looked a special talent when landing the Listed Dee Stakes, Prix du Jockey Club, and Eclipse earlier in the season.
But he disappointed in three Group 1s to close out his second season, in the Juddmonte International (third), Irish Champion Stakes (third) and Champion Stakes at Ascot (fifth).
Coolmore’s sales director David O’Loughlin said: “It is disappointing not to see him run on and perform to the best that everyone knew he was capable of, but we are absolutely delighted to have him in the stallion yard.
“He is a serious talent with a proper stallion’s pedigree, and breeders are going to love him.”
Constitution River, who is by Wootton Bassett and a first foal out of Group 1-winning mare Wonderful Tonight, will stand at a fee of €25,000.
