Guineas star Chaldean retired to stud

The son of Frankel won four of his five starts as a juvenile last season including the Acomb Stakes at York, the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and the Dewhurst at Newmarket.

He made an inauspicious start to his three-year-old campaign when unseating Frankie Dettori in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury, but bounced back to claim Classic glory and provide the Italian with a fourth and seemingly final 2000 Guineas success on the Rowley Mile in early May.

Chaldean went on to finish best of the rest behind Paddington in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, but disappointed in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville in the summer and struggled in a soft ground Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday in what has turned out to be be his swansong.

Trainer Andrew Balding said: “Chaldean is just a dream horse; the most professional, uncomplicated, and beautifully balanced horse we have had during his time at Kingsclere.

“He showed unusual improvement through his unique sequence of prestigious wins in the Acomb Stakes, Champagne Stakes and the Dewhurst Stakes at two-years-old only to improve again to win the 2000 Guineas before his turning three years old.”

General manager of Juddmonte UK, Simon Mockridge, added: “We would like to extend special thanks to Andrew Balding and the teams at Kingsclere and Juddmonte for guiding and skilfully developing the racing career of Chaldean.

“We look forward to welcoming our Classic winner Chaldean as the first son of Frankel to stand at Banstead Manor Stud, further strengthening Juddmonte’s European stallion roster.”

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