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ItalianStallion
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TOP sprinter King's Apostle, winner of the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest this month and a leading fancy for the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday week, has been retired due to injury.
William Haggas's five-year old bows out on a high after notching his first success at the highest level when beating Mariol by half a length in the Maurice de Gheest at Deauville with sprinters of the calibre of Serious Attitude, Naaqoos and African Rose well in arrears.
Successful in seven of his 22 races, which netted more than £300,000 in win and place prize-money for his owner Bernard Kantor, King's Apostle was still in the handicap ranks just over a year ago before a meteoric rise to a first taste of Pattern-race glory when landing the Group 2 Diadem Stakes at Ascot last September.
This season, the son of King's Best only just failed under a penalty to add another Group 2 to his CV when runner-up in the Duke of York Blue Square Stakes in May before acquitting himself well at the highest level when fifth to Fleeting Spirit in the Group 1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket.
Haggas said: "It's a great shame that we've hadto retire King's Apostle as the horse has come into his own this year. I was delighted to win a Group 1 with him and he's been a thoroughly genuine and consistent performer at the highest level."
Connections are hoping that King's Apostle will take up stallion duties. Haggas added: "The horse has a wonderful nature and is thoroughly genuine in every way. I really hope that we can find a place at stud for him somewhere in the British Isles in the near future."
King's Apostle was as short as 5-1 second favourite for the Betfred Sprint Cup but Haggas is still hoping to run stablemate High Standing in the 6f contest on September 5.
William Haggas's five-year old bows out on a high after notching his first success at the highest level when beating Mariol by half a length in the Maurice de Gheest at Deauville with sprinters of the calibre of Serious Attitude, Naaqoos and African Rose well in arrears.
Successful in seven of his 22 races, which netted more than £300,000 in win and place prize-money for his owner Bernard Kantor, King's Apostle was still in the handicap ranks just over a year ago before a meteoric rise to a first taste of Pattern-race glory when landing the Group 2 Diadem Stakes at Ascot last September.
This season, the son of King's Best only just failed under a penalty to add another Group 2 to his CV when runner-up in the Duke of York Blue Square Stakes in May before acquitting himself well at the highest level when fifth to Fleeting Spirit in the Group 1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket.
Haggas said: "It's a great shame that we've hadto retire King's Apostle as the horse has come into his own this year. I was delighted to win a Group 1 with him and he's been a thoroughly genuine and consistent performer at the highest level."
Connections are hoping that King's Apostle will take up stallion duties. Haggas added: "The horse has a wonderful nature and is thoroughly genuine in every way. I really hope that we can find a place at stud for him somewhere in the British Isles in the near future."
King's Apostle was as short as 5-1 second favourite for the Betfred Sprint Cup but Haggas is still hoping to run stablemate High Standing in the 6f contest on September 5.