52 and out: in-foal Avon Breeze ends career in style

What a fine way to finish. Eight-year-old Avon Breeze, who is in foal to Equiano, had the perfect finale to her long career by winning the £20,000 6f handicap at Ripon on her 52nd start.

It was her second race in two days but though down the field in a Listed race at Chester 24 hours earlier, she came out in top form to overcome a slow start and win a shade cosily by a length under apprentice Lewis Edmunds - and she will now be retired to the paddocks.

Her trainer, part-owner and breeder Richard Whitaker, said: "This was always going to be her last race and what a fantastic way to finish. She's been a great mare for us as that's her tenth win, and she's now won £100,000 in prize-money.

"We ran her at Chester yesterday to try to get some black type but it didn't work out for her, but as she came back and ate up I thought, 'Why not run her again?'

"She did well because her good draw became a bad draw when she started slowly, but she won well in the end. At the end of last year we thought we'd get her in foal and then run her while we could."

He continued: "She didn't get in foal until her third covering by Equiano so we've been able to race her until now, but I never thought she'd win three races this time.

"Her other partners want to send her to the December sales so we'll see. I bred her, I still have her dam, and would love to have her back."

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