Saturday 31 July 2021 12:15, UK
Brilliant sprinter Battaash has been retired after his defeat at Goodwood on Friday.
The brilliant Charlie Hills-trained sprinter had to settle for seventh place in his bid to land the King George Qatar Stakes for the fifth successive year, having made an injury-delayed start to the season at Royal Ascot.
In a statement to the PA news agency on Saturday, racing manager Angus Gold said on behalf of Shadwell Estate Company Ltd: "Following telephone conversations with HH Sheikha Hissa Bint Hamdan Al Maktoum last night and this morning it has been confirmed that Battaash will retire from racing with immediate effect.
"Sheikha Hissa confirmed to me how much Battaash had meant to Sheikh Hamdan and indeed to all her family and she does not want to abuse him in any way - while the ground may have been a contributory factor to his defeat yesterday it appeared that some of his old spark was missing, so ultimately the decision to retire him was an easy one."
