Coolmore Announces Retirement of Stayer Star Kyprios Due to Injury

A dual winner of the G1 Ascot Gold Cup, he had been victorious in both of his starts this season and was being aimed at a third triumph in the Royal meeting's marquee staying race

Simply Kyprios, a once-in-a-generation star / ASCOT

COUNTY KILDARE, Irlanda (Special for Turf Diario).- Kyprios, among the finest stayers Europe has seen in recent memory and a standard-bearer for Ballydoyle, has been officially retired from racing, Coolmore announced Wednesday.

"Due to the recurrence of an old injury, we’ve decided not to take any risks with Kyprios," read the statement on the farm’s X account. "Although he is currently healthy and in good shape, the decision has been made to retire him from competition."

A champion in the Stayers division, the son of Galileo won 17 of his 21 career starts, a résumé that includes two editions of the G1 Ascot Gold Cup, the G1 Goodwood Cup, the G1 Irish St. Leger, and the G1 Prix du Cadran, as well as key staying events such as three renewals of the G3 Levmoss Stakes, the G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup, and the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes.

He also finished second in both the Irish St. Leger and the British Champions Long Distance Cup, having overcome a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to a life-threatening injury. His recovery was nothing short of remarkable.

The 6-year-old had returned this season with back-to-back victories and was being pointed to a title defense in next month’s G1 Ascot Gold Cup.

"He was an absolutely incredible horse," said trainer Aidan O’Brien of the €2.6-million earner. "We always had to treat him with great respect. He was perfect in every way, but when he came back from exercise the other day and seemed a little off, we couldn’t take any chances. It was the first time he’d taken a misstep since coming back from that major injury which kept him out for almost the entire 2023 season. Everyone involved wanted to do the right thing by him. He’s the most extraordinary horse. He had an incredible mind to match his enormous ability. I don’t believe there’s another horse in the world that could have come back from an injury like that."

One of the most unforgettable performances in Kyprios’s storied career came in the 2022 Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp, where he bolted wide entering the stretch, gave up significant ground, and still romped home by 20 lengths. An unforgettable, once-in-a-generation star.