Dual Group 1-winning sprinter Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) has been retired from racing and will be re-trained as a show horse by Katie Jerram. The news was first reported by Racing Post.
A £41,000 graduate of the Doncaster August yearling sale, Limato raced from ages two to eight for owner Paul Jacobs and trainer Henry Candy and won at least one stakes race every season. A dual listed winner at two, he won the G3 Pavilion S. and G2 Park S. at three and was second in Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup and the G1 Prix de la Foret. Limato had his best season at four, winning the G1 Darley July Cup before going one better in the Foret. He was placed in both the G1 Diamond Jubilee and July Cup at five before prevailing in the G2 Challenge S., and the following season strung together three straight black-type wins culminating in a Challenge title defense. Limato's 7-year-old season last year brought about victory in the G3 Criterion S., and the dark bay gelding took that event once again on seasonal debut on June 27 before finishing fifth when last seen in the G2 Park S.
Limato had been on track to go for a third Challenge S. win at Newmarket on Friday before bidding farewell, but his retirement was brought forward after he bruised a foot.
“He's been a big part of the yard for a long time,” said Candy. “I suppose his July Cup victory was probably the outstanding performance, but I thought his run in the Two-Year-Old Trophy at Redcar as a juvenile was absolutely extraordinary.”
Candy, who also handled brilliant sprinters like Kyllachy (GB), Twilight Son (GB) and Airwave (GB), added, “Limato would have to be way up there. When everything was in his favour with the ground and everything, he was brilliant. He had a pretty amazing strike rate and a fantastic turn of foot.”
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