Racing: All Too Hard goes to stud

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The racetrack career of All Too Hard is over with the half-brother to Black Caviar officially retired on Sunday.

Vinery Stud has shelved plans to race the colt at Royal Ascot and he goes out a last-start winner of the All Aged Stakes at Randwick.

The latest international rankings rated All Too Hard Australia's second-best racehorse behind Black Caviar, who was rated the highest-ranked horse in the world.

"It was a difficult decision for us to retire a colt with so much more to offer as a racehorse," Vinery's general manager, Peter Orton, said.

"All Too Hard has done all we could have asked for and more.

"He possesses an outstanding pedigree, being out of Helsinge and a half-brother to world champion sprinter Black Caviar, but offers the blood of champion sires such as Danehill, Snippets, Last Tycoon, Flying Spur and Vain."

The senior member of the Hawkes family training partnership, John Hawkes, said he was proud to have been associated with All Too Hard.

"We are obviously very disappointed to see All Too Hard retire," he said, "but we understand the owners' decision." AAP