Top-class Australian sprinter Vancouver is set to be retired to stud after being ruled out of Royal Ascot and the July Cup at Newmarket.
The Medaglia d’Oro colt won the prestigious Golden Slipper in Australia and was sent to Aidan O’Brien earlier this year in the hope he would tackle the best in Europe this summer.
However, he missed his intended Irish debut in last month’s Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh following unsatisfactory blood results and connections have now called time on his racing career.
O’Brien said: “His bloods failed to improve as quickly as we might have hoped so he missed more work last week and this week.
“Unfortunately we’ve now run out of time to get him ready for the Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot and the July Cup.
“It’s very disappointing as he looked very special on what we’d seen of him at home and we were looking forward to running him.”
Vancouver will return to Australia to assume stallion duties later in the year.
Coolmore Australia’s Tom Magnier told the Coolmore website: “It’s a major disappointment that Vancouver won’t be running at Royal Ascot but he is proving very popular with breeders so we’re keen to get him here as soon as possible.
“He’ll enter quarantine in Newmarket next week and will be on the farm here in Coolmore Australia by mid-July.”
