LEGENDARY racehorse Stradivarius – famed for his money-making partnership with Frankie Dettori – has been retired aged eight.
The superstar stayer trained to greatness by John Gosden will now stand at stud after picking up an injury last month.
Sun Racing told you last week retirement was all but certain for the Bjorn Nielsen-owned runner.
Stradivarius earned just shy of £3.5million in prize money and won 20 of his 35 races.
His amazing career saw him plunder four Goodwood Cups, three Ascot Gold Cups, three Lonsdale Stakes and the Doncaster Cup twice.
As much as that though he endeared himself to an army of fans used to seeing top Flat horses retire as young as three.
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Nielsen said: "The music has stopped for Stradivarius.
"He has been trotting and cantering but it has taken longer to get over the bruised foot than we thought.
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"We felt it would be unfair to ask him to come back again as a nine-year-old next season after his enforced time off.
"It has been a fairytale from start to finish.
"He had great presence when he went to the races, which the crowds loved, and his overall soundness was rare to see in any horse – never mind one of his age.
"He is a tribute to John Gosden, who has trained him so brilliantly for so long."
Stradivarius' final run was in the Goodwood Cup last July.
In an absolute thriller against rising star Kyprios, brave Stradivarius battled his heart out but when down just a neck to a horse four years his junior.
The Goodwood crowd erupted as Andrea Atzeni went all out to try to get the old boy home.
But in a race that was probably a symbolic changing of the guard in the staying division, Aidan O'Brien's monster just held on.
Atzeni got the ride after a bust-up between Nielsen and Dettori.
The owner decided to take Dettori off Strad's rides after a shocker at Royal Ascot.
In what was to prove Stradivarius' penultimate race, Dettori went wide round the outside in the Ascot Gold Cup.
Losing those valuable yards after being caught at the back of the pack arguably cost Strad the race.
It also led to Dettori and Gosden taking a 'sabbatical' – which proved short-lived as it ended after just 11 days.
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