‘Horse of a lifetime’ Kingman calls time on remarkable career

TOP miler Kingman – an electrifying four-time Group One winner this summer – has been retired to stud.
Kingman, left, ridden by James Doyle, goes on to win the St James's Palace Stakes ahead of Night Of Thunder earlier this year at Royal Ascot.Kingman, left, ridden by James Doyle, goes on to win the St James's Palace Stakes ahead of Night Of Thunder earlier this year at Royal Ascot.
Kingman, left, ridden by James Doyle, goes on to win the St James's Palace Stakes ahead of Night Of Thunder earlier this year at Royal Ascot.

The John Gosden-trained colt was being trained for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Qipco Champions Day but he has yet to recover from a throat infection.

Connections still hoped the three-year-old would make the showpiece race, but time has now been called on a decorated career.

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Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Prince Khalid Abdullah, said last night: “Kingman is to be retired to Banstead Manor Stud for the 2015 stud season.

“The throat infection will still need ongoing treatment which will rule out the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and also the Breeders Cup.

“The stud fee of the horse that has electrified European racing in 2014 will be announced by the stud when appropriate.”

Kingman won seven of his eight races, including Group One triumphs in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. He will now take up a role at Abdullah’s Banstead Manor alongside the incomparable Frankel.

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William Hill spokesman Jon Ivan-Duke offered odds of 14-1 of Kingman siring a Group One winner with his first crop of foals.

Kingman – whose only reverse came in the 2000 Guineas to Night Of Thunder – was described as “a horse of a lifetime” by his jockey James Doyle who became Abdullah’s retained rider 13 months ago.

Doyle was also in the saddle when David O’Meara’s Louis The Pious won the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup on Saturday.

Nawton-based O’Meara says the sprinter will head to Ascot for a seven furlong handicap on the first weekend of October.

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Though delighted with the win, O’Meara conceded that his charge was the beneficiary of a favourable draw on the stands-side – an advantage that was denied to stablemate Watchable who could, says the Nawton trainer, develop into a Group horse.

Meanwhile G Force – winner of Haydock’s Group One Betfred Sprint Cup under Danny Tudhope – will also head to Ascot for his next outing and take on the country’s top sprinters on Qipco Champions Day on October 18.

“I’m delighted with him,” said O’Meara.

Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby saddled the first five winners at Kempton yesterday at odds of 930-1.

The first three were ridden by William Buick, who gave way to Silvestre de Sousa for the next two.

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