Wednesday, 28 January 2009

Last year’s Golden Slipper winner and champion two-year-old Sebring has been retired to stud after his autumn campaign was halted after the horse suffered a “re-occurring soundness issue”.

Sebring’s spring campaign was stopped last year because of a cannon bone injury and will now head to Widden Stud where he will commence stallion duties later this year.

“Sebring was having his final hit out on Tuesday morning prior to a barrier trial on Friday to ascertain his level of fitness, but worked below his normal standard with his rider reporting he was not happy with the horse,” said Widden’s Antony Thompson in a press release.

“Sebring was later examined by Jonathan Lumsden at Randwick Equine Hospital, who diagnosed a requiring a minimum eight weeks spell.

“Given the timing of this minor setback and the fact a delayed preparation could impede on the start of his stud career in the spring, we have decided it is in the shareholders best interests for Sebring to be retired immediately.”

The son of More Than Ready was Australia’s dominant juvenile last season winning five of his six starts and in excess of $2.5 million in prizemoney highlighted by his memorable Group One victories in the Golden Slipper Stakes and the Sires’ Produce Stakes.

Sebring’s champion trainer Gai Waterhouse remembered her star two-year-old’s meteoric rise to the top after an inglorious start to his training career.

“Winning his first trial he had an action similar to a motor mower - he was all over the place,” Waterhouse said on her website.

“In his second trial the penny was dropping and his action was improving and when he hit the racecourse on January 19th he had come of age.

“He never looked back in his meteoric rise to the Golden Slipper.

“Sebring was a wonder horse the type they write movies about.”

Sebring will be the fifth Golden Slipper winner to stand at Widden, following in the illustrious footsteps of Todman, Vain and Marscay – all champion sires in their own right - as well as the 2005 winner Stratum.

No stud fee has been set with an announcement to be made in early April.