2018 Derby Winner Masar Retires

The 2018 Epsom Derby winner Masar for trainer Charlie Appleby and owners Godolphin has been retired.

The first ever horse in the historic blue silks to land the most prestigious race in British flat racing, will now head to stud and try and produce offsprings like the famous Dubawi has done.

The four-year-old gave his trainer his first ever Classic win when landing the Derby last year under a superb ride by William Buick, but this season in his two runs after coming back from injury, he has not looked the same horse and the Newmarket team have called time on his racing career.

Masar made his long awaited return at Royal Ascot in the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes and he could not of had a worse start - stumbling out the stall and always playing catch up, which saw him run his race before he had the chance to make a real go of it in the final stages.

Appleby was keen to get him back on to a racecourse as although never challenging the winner at the royal meeting you could see that the same Group One winning ability was still in him.

However at Newmarket on Thursday, he was less than impressive and gave the opposite impression to the racing world when finishing last of the six fielded Group Two Princess Of Wales's Tattersalls Stakes.

With the Group One winner being given his chance, connections will now send him to stud and there are many interesting mares that he could join up with.

(Credit Racing Post) Appleby said: "First and foremost, Masar has come out his Newmarket race well but after deep discussions with his highness Sheikh Mohammed we have decided to do what's right for the horse and retire him.

"He gave us all an amazing day when winning the Investec Derby, when he was the first to win it in the blue colours and gave me my first domestic Classic win as a trainer. Before that, he had run out a high-class winner of both the Solario and the Craven Stakes. 

He added: "Masar will be sorely missed at Moulton Paddocks but he will be joining another great performer of ours, Blue Point, on the Darley stallion roster in the near future."

Godolphin and Appleby have not made this decision lightly, taking ample time to think about what is best for the horse but obviously off the back of his performances this season they think it is time for him to retire.

Appleby added: "We would have been chasing our tail with the horse through the rest of the season and he owes us nothing.

"He achieved the pinnacle of British racing in winning the Derby and his form was high-class from two to three.

"To come back from the injury he had showed immense courage and all at Godolphin are very proud to be associated with him."