Taghrooda, in my eyes one of the greatest fillies ever, has been retired today, 13 October 2014.
The talented daughter of champion Sea The Stars and Ezima won her four first four starts, a Maiden Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket in 2013, followed by the 2014 Pretty Polly Stakes, Epsom Oaks, and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, in which she defeated colts and older horses. She then ran a very close second to Tapestry in the Yorkshire Oaks, and finishes third behind Trêve in what would become her last race, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Her breeder/owner Hamdan Al Maktoum and trainer John Gosden decided to retire their star after discussions, and she will join her owner’s broodmare band for 2015 and on.
Angus Gold, racing manager for the sheikh, said: "Taghrooda has been retired. She has been wonderful, and will be missed. In my time not since Salsabil have we had a filly this good, which shows how rare they are." Read more here.
Happy and long retirement, Taghrooda, <3 You will surely be missed on the track.
Photo: www.racehorsephotos.co.uk Taghrooda at Epsom on Oaks day, 6 June 2014