Injured Technician retired to stud following Gold Cup run

Technician has been retired after injuring a tendon in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

Martyn Meade's four-year-old was sent off the 7-2 second favourite on the back of several good efforts last year, but he put up a disappointing display in conditions that should have suited him well on Thursday.

Unfortunately, on returning to Meade's Manton base, it transpired Technician had torn a tendon badly enough for his racing days to be over.

Meade told Press Association Sport: "After the race we found out he'd suffered a tendon injury, and I'm afraid it's career-threatening, so we've decided he will be retired.

"His run was so inexplicable - he had absolutely perfect conditions, and I was expecting a big run. It's so disappointing. It shows what a good horse he was to run on with that injury - it's bad.

"There's no future trying to repair it, so we'll have to make alternative plans for him now. Hopefully he can go to stud, but I'm afraid that will be his last race.

"We knew something was wrong, because that wasn't like him at all. Usually he battles on - and with conditions right, something had to be affecting him. Clearly he must have twisted badly, and that was it."

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