Irish Champion Stakes hero Economics retired and bound for stud duties

Economics, one of last season's standout stars with an impressive victory in the Irish Champion Stakes, has been retired.

Trained by William Haggas for Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, the son of Night Of Thunder became one of the best three-year-olds of his generation when dominating the Dante Stakes at York with an impressive six-length win, defeating the previous year's Futurity Trophy scorer Ancient Wisdom in the process. 

He followed up in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano in Deauville by two lengths from a high-class field which included Jayarebe, Almaqam and Arrow Eagle before producing his best performance when striking at Leopardstown, where he defeated dual Derby hero and Breeders' Cup victor Auguste Rodin, as well as Irish Derby winner Los Angeles and the multiple Group 1-winning Luxembourg. 

Following that Group 1 success, Economics ran just twice more, when down the field in the last two runnings of the Champion Stakes.

"He had everything you look for in a top-class racehorse – athleticism, temperament, and an extraordinary will to win," said Haggas. "His performance at Leopardstown was one of the most thrilling I’ve witnessed, it’s hard to believe we could have had a horse of this calibre so close to Baaeed. He retires with our deepest admiration and is certainly one of the best colts we’ve had."

Economics (far side) fends off Auguste Rodin in the Irish Champion StakesCredit: Caroline Norris

Jake Warren, bloodstock and racing advisor to Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, added: "Economics showed us on numerous occasions how brilliant he was, in particular when defeating a seasoned field of Group 1 winners, including Auguste Rodin, in the Irish Champion Stakes last year where he rightfully secured his place as one of the highest rated mile-and-a-quarter colts in the world.

"His page is very strong, he’s by Night of Thunder who's breaking records on the track and in the sales ring and out of an exceptionally tough Group 2-winning race mare. He's an incredibly good-looking horse with a tremendous step so I’m sure breeders will be very interested in him as I have no doubt he’ll produce very attractive, easy-moving, commercial offspring. 

"We haven’t decided on where he’ll stand just yet, we’ve been taking calls, but options are still open at this stage."

Tom Marquand, who partnered Economics in six of his seven starts, said: “He was simply brilliant, when you pressed the button he just went through the gears effortlessly. His Irish Champion win showed what he was capable of against some of the very best mile-and-a-quarter colts in the world."

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