Racing To Win ends great career

SYDNEY: Multiple group one winner Racing To Win has been officially retired after a tendon injury suffered in Hong Kong.

Trainer John O'Shea said he would miss the popular grey gelding who had been in his Randwick stable for five years during which time he won 13 of his 30 starts and amassed more than A$3.7 million ($4.6 million) prizemoney.

Racing To Win was injured during the running of the International Mile at Sha Tin last month when he was galloped on at the start of the race.

"He was a very good horse to me, naturally he's going to be difficult to replace," O'Shea said on his website.

"He's had a wonderful career and when at the top of his game, sure he is a horse deserving of admiration."

Owned by Trevor Stuckey and Penny Yan, Racing To Win won on debut as a late 2-year-old in June 2005 and went on to victory at his next two starts before running second to Paratroopers in the A$1 million Golden Rose. Racing To Win blossomed in the autumn of his 3-year-old season, claiming the George Ryder Stakes-Doncaster Handicap double.

In the spring of 2006, he added the George Main Stakes and Epsom Handicap to his record to earn favouritism for the Cox Plate.

But the Cox Plate dream went horribly wrong with Racing To Win beating just one runner home and missing a place for the first time in his career.

Battered and bruised from the experience, Racing To Win spent more than a year away from the track.

His return in the autumn of 2008 yielded his final group one victory in the All-Aged Stakes.

O'Shea said he was looking forward to the future despite the loss.

"It won't keep me down, because I have a yard full that I'm trying to turn into the next Racing To Win and if we can produce one of them to emulate a touch of what he did we will have a fun time ahead."

- AAP