Carla Giral's veteran speedster Marchand d'Or (Fr) (Marchand de Sable--Fedora {Fr}, by Kendor {Fr}), Europe's Champion sprinter of 2008, has been retired. The 9-year-old homebred gelding, who registered a unique treble in Deauville's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest between 2006 and 2008 whilst under the care of Freddy Head, will join his dam Fedora at Gilles Deroubaix's Haras de Sou. Starting off his career under Aurelien Malenfant in a juvenile claimer at Chantilly in 2005, his only freshman start, he quickly rose through the ranks and, after bagging Longchamp's Listed Prix du Pont Neuf in 2006, raced exclusively in pattern-race company since, winning 10 such events. His banner year of 2008 also included victories in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket and the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp. Injury curtailed his 2009 campaign, but he came back the following term to register a win in Longchamp's G3 Prix de Saint-Georges for new trainer Mikel Delzangles. He also hit the board in last year's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, his fourth appearance in Deauville's 6 1/2-furlong test, and followed that effort by winning the G3 Prix de Meautry, his final triumph, also at the Normandy track. This semester has been Marchand d'Or's swansong and, after running eighth in yet another try at the Maurice de Gheest last month, brought the curtain down with a fifth in the Sept. 16 G3 Prix du Petit Couvert at Longchamp. He was ridden by Davy Bonilla in all but one of his 40 starts and retires with a career record of 40-12-2-4, and earnings of €1,462,500.