Champion stayer Kyprios has been retired from racing following the recurrence of an old injury, Coolmore announced on Tuesday.
“Due to an aggravation of an old ringbone lesion we have decided to take no chances with Kyprios and although he is currently sound and doing well the decision has been made to retire him from racing,” read a statement posted to X by Coolmore (@coolmorestud).
Having won the 2022 and 2024 editions of the Gold Cup in a career which brought him eight Group 1 victories, Kyprios had been the overwhelming favourite to defend his crown at Royal Ascot this year before news of his retirement was announced.
“He's been an unbelievable horse really,” said trainer Aidan O'Brien, who saddled the son of Galileo to win 17 of his 21 starts and over £2.6 million in total prize-money.
“We had to be very respectful of him. In every way he is perfect but, when he pulled up a little bit edgy the last day, we couldn't take any risks. It was the first time he'd taken a false step since he recovered from his serious injury [which forced him to miss most of the 2023 season]. Everyone just wanted to do right by him.
“He's been the most incredible horse. He had an incredible mind to go with his incredible ability. I don't think any other horse in the world would have come back from the injury that he had.”
Many special moments have graced the career of Kyprios, but one race on his record particularly stands out for O'Brien.
“There was that day in France when he won by a long way,” he said of the 2022 Prix du Cadran, a Group 1 won by Kyprios with 20 lengths back to his closest pursuer, despite him hanging violently left in closing stages.
“He'd been round once, he could see where he needed to go, and he just wanted to get back. He was an incredible horse, he was just always in second gear most of the time.
“That was just unusual that Prix du Cadran. They all fell away, nothing could go with him, and he got left in front and got a bit lonely.”
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