G1 Investec Derby winner Wings of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}-Ysoldina {Fr}, by Kendor {Fr}) emerged from his third-place finish in Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby with a fractured left front sesamoid. It is a career-ending injury, according to a press release from Coolmore.
Wings Of Eagles, who was a surprise 40-1 winner of the Derby under Padraig Beggy, retires with two wins from seven starts and earnings of £1,075,441.
The press release read, “Epsom Derby winner Wings of Eagles was found to be lame this morning after running in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh yesterday. He was examined today in his box in Ballydoyle by the attending veterinary surgeon who diagnosed a fracture of his left front sesamoid. Sadly this is a career-ending injury.”
Trainer Aidan O'Brien said from The Curragh on Sunday, “When the lads x-rayed him, his sesamoid had completely come apart. It's incredible he ran the race he did with that. We're very sorry to lose him because he was a very unusual horse in that he stayed very well but quickened very well.”
“When [vet] John [Halley] saw it, there was absolutely no chance that he'd ever race again,” the trainer added. “John was saying that he might get Ger [Kelly] to put a pin in it on Monday. I was just speaking to JP [Magnier] on the way home last night and we were saying he was a perfect horse to have a mid-season break and then give him a prep for the Arc. That's the type of horse that we thought he was going to be.”
Wings of Eagles, a €220,000 Arqana August yearling, won one of four starts last year and debuted this year with a second behind stablemate Venice Beach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Chester Vase before swooping late to take the Derby. He stayed on late in Saturday's Irish Derby under Ryan Moore to be beaten a half-length by stablemate Capri (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the Epsom third Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
Wings of Eagles's half-sister from the first crop of Kingman (GB) will be offered at this year's Arqana August yearling sale as lot 101.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
