Racing: El Segundo has run last race after tendon injury

SYDNEY - Multiple group one winner El Segundo has been retired after suffering a tendon injury in Saturday's George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill.

Melbourne trainer Colin Little said the 2007 Cox Plate winner had suffered an injury to his superficial flexor tendon and the decision to retire him was simple.

"Enough is enough," Little said.

"He has had issues with his right fetlock throughout his career.

"The injury is not that serious but the time has come.

"It is sad because he has been a part of my family for six years and has been a life-changing horse for us.

"He doesn't have a new home yet but he will be well looked after."

Little was in Sydney for the opening day of the Easter yearling sale yesterday and was not holding out hope of finding a replacement for the brave 8-year-old.

"You wait 40 years for a horse like him," he said.

"They only come along once in a lifetime."

A four-time group one winner, El Segundo came to prominence when he won the 2005 Caulfield Stakes and the following spring won the Underwood Stakes before running second to Fields Of Omagh in the Cox Plate.

He won the 2007 Orr Stakes in the autumn, before returning to triumph in the 2007 Cox Plate which would turn out to be his final career victory.

Sidelined for more than year with a tendon injury in his near-side foreleg, El Segundo managed only two runs in the autumn last year before aggravating a troublesome joint, also in his near-side foreleg.

Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter said El Segundo would be remembered for beating one of the strongest Cox Plate fields of recent times.

"He beat a really outstanding field, which comprised Wonderful World, Haradasun, Miss Finland, Divine Madonna, Zipping, Efficient, Niconero, Marasco and Lad Of The Manor," Carpenter said.

"He beat them easily and it gave him a international rating of 123, making him the champion performer in Australia that season.

"Even though he didn't win after that Cox Plate, coming back from a long injury he was still competitive in the 2009 Cox Plate [finishing fourth] and has been one of the flag-bearers for Australian racing the last five years."

El Segundo was a crowd favourite and with 12 wins, four seconds and four thirds from his 35 starts earned A$3,964,375 ($4,991,900) in prizemoney for his connections, who included former tennis champion Paul McNamee.

* Queensland trainer Brian Smith called an immediate halt to Sydney carnival plans for highly-rated mare Jasminka after she slumped to a costly defeat when a hot favourite at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

- AAP