Kingston Hill Retired to Coolmore

Kingston Hill (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}–Audacieuse {GB}, by Rainbow Quest), a Group 1 winner at two and three, has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2016 at Coolmore. A stud fee will be set at a later date.

Bred by Paul Smith, Kingston Hill was a 70,000gns purchase by Charlie Gordon-Watson Bloodstock out of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Sale in 2012 and, in the space of five weeks in 2013, won each of his three starts, including the G3 Autumn S. followed two weeks later by a victory in the G1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster. Unplaced behind Night of Thunder (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) when first-up in the 2014 G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas, Kingston Hill ran Australia (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to 1 1/4 lengths in a runner-up effort in the G1 Investec Derby. He returned to Doncaster two starts later, validating 9-4 favoritism in the G1 St Leger before closing out the season with a highly creditable four-lengths' fourth to Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Kingston Hill, the highweighted 3-year-old in England at 14 furlongs and beyond, retires with a record of 8-4-1-0 and earnings of £1,104,278.

“We had hoped to get Kingston Hill back for the latter part of this season but sadly this has not been possible and the decision has been made to retire him,” said trainer Roger Varian. “He was a very special horse for our yard giving us our first 2-year-old Group 1 and Classic successes. In another year he might well have won the Epsom Derby, but he ran into a very good horse in Australia. He's a beautiful mover with a great cruising speed and a turn of foot–pretty much everything you look for in a top class racehorse.”

Added Smith, “It's unfortunate that we haven't been able to get him back this year, as Roger was convinced he would have made an even better four-year-old. It's great to see Mastercraftsman having another fantastic year with six group winners including Amazing Maria (Ire).”

 

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