Speedy sprinter fit for the Queen retired after 103 races

Ornate, the brilliantly speedy sprinter who was “bought to win at Epsom on Derby day in front of the Queen and achieved it,” has run his last race.

The ten-year-old will spend his retirement with jockey Phil Dennis, who rode him to a memorable all-the-way victory at 33-1 in the £100,000 Dash in 2019.

He won 11 races in total and finished third behind Battaash in the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood in 2019 and 2020.

“He is sound and well and has earned his retirement,” said trainer David Griffiths. “He will have a home for life with Phil Dennis, who has a few paddocks at his place near Malton.

“He was bought to give his owners a day out to win at Epsom on Derby day in front of the Queen and achieved it. Plans don’t normally work out like that. They paid a few quid for him but they got it back, and then some.”

Ornate moved to South Yorkshire after being bought for 110,000gns out of Robert Cowell’s yard at the horses-in-training sale at Newmarket in 2017.

He failed to win in his first season for Griffiths, who said: “He didn’t run well at all but it turned out he had bad ulcers and we had those treated and gave him a tie forward and he became a brilliant horse for us.

“He was really fast. I used to ride him a lot at home and he had two speeds – flat out and stop. We wouldn’t work him, just canter him as steadily as we could.”

Ornate scored his most recent win at Chelmsford last October and Griffiths, who has also recently retired the 2013 Dash winner Duke Of Firenze, said: “We made the decision to end his career after his last run at Southwell.

“He still looks a picture physically but he is not as good as he was.”

Ornate was bred by Cheveley Park Stud, in whose colours he finished second in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes as a two-year-old when with William Haggas and also won twice for Cowell at four. He earned just over £300,000 in prize-money in a 103-race career.

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