General / Joe Dyer / 13 October 2009 / Leave a comment

Oxx's wonder horse will not travel to Santa Anita following long season of glory

"An utterly glorious season for Sea The Stars was rounded off with victory in the Arc, prompting Timeform to rate him at 140, on a par with Dubai Millennium, Dancing Brave and Shergar."

Sea the Stars, the outstanding three-year-old who has lit up the Flat season, has been retired and will not take part in next month's Breeders' Cup.

Trainer John Oxx cited the horse's long season as the reason behind his decision.

"He's been in intensive training for seven months with only a three-week break after the Eclipse Stakes at the beginning of July," he said.

"We feel it is unfair to keep him going any further given his unprecedented record of achievement in the last six months."

Following the horse's win at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe earlier this month, his sixth consecutive Group One victory of the campaign, there had been speculation that the Irish-trained 3yo would go to Santa Anita, California, for the Breeders' Cup Classic and the horse had traded at an ante-post low of [1.7].

But he's considered a [95.0] shot now, with a likely career at stud ahead of him.

Sea The Stars' long season started at Newmarket in March for the 2,000 Guineas where he beat Delegator to land his first Group One of the campaign. There followed victory in the Derby, Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International before crossing the Irish Sea for the Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

An utterly glorious season was then rounded off with victory in the Arc, prompting Timeform to rate him at 140, on a par with Dubai Millennium, Dancing Brave and Shergar. Only Brigadier Gerard and Mill Reef stand above that quartet on ratings since 1970.

Betting continues for the Breeders' Cup Classic with Rip Van Winkle, second to Sea The Stars in the Coral-Eclipse, the current [2.9] favourite.

Tags: 2000 Guineas, Breeders' Cup Classic, Coral-Eclipse, Dancing Brave, Dubai Millennium, Irish Champion Stakes, John Oxx, Juddmonte International, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Sea the Stars, Shergar, The Derby