2016 G1 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Don Cossack (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ire}) has been retired from racing following a recurrence of a tendon injury that has kept him off the racecourse since his famous victory last March. Bred in Germany by Gestut Etzean the 10-year-old has long been the apple of his trainer Gordon Elliott's eye and his long held belief in Michael O'Leary's gelding was fully borne out in a career that reached it's peak throughout 2015 and early 2016 when he won four of his six Grade 1 races. ''I am very sad to report that Don Cossack has suffered a setback and will now be retired,” Elliott announced on Wednesday. “We found that he had a bit of heat in his leg yesterday and we've made the decision to call time. It's a real sickener for Gigginstown, myself, Bryan Cooper and the whole yard. We knew it was never certain we would get him back to the racecourse and even after that, to get him back to his best, but we were hopeful and he was on track for a run at Gowran Park next month.”
Elliott continued, “He's a horse of a lifetime and he owes us nothing. He's won Grade 1's at Cheltenham, Aintree, Punchestown, Fairyhouse and Down Royal. He was the top-rated horse in Britain and Ireland for the last two seasons running and we'd have loved to see him take on Thistlecrack in the Gold Cup. It was one of the highlights of my career when Don Cossack won the Gold Cup for us last year and a peaceful retirement awaits him out in Gigginstown.” Don Cossack retires with a race record of 27-16-4-2 with career earnings of €1,099,958.
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