'He was ultra-game' - sprinting stalwart and shock Champions Day winner Art Power retired

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Art Power, the multiple Group-winning sprinter who caused a huge British Champions Day upset, has been retired at the age of nine.

The popular King Power Racing-owned grey reached his peak when triumphant in the 2023 British Champions Sprint, holding off the challenge of Kinross by a neck at odds of 40-1 under David Allan. The victory provided Allan with his first and only British Group 1 win so far.

"He's been a great horse for King Power," the owners' racing manager Alastair Donald said. "He's a horse everyone enjoyed following and was a real character. People probably loved him as he was nearly white in his latter years, but he gave a lot of people a lot of pleasure.

"His British Champions Sprint win was a real highlight. He remarkably ran in that race six times and there were times when he was slightly unlucky not to have won a Group 1 before then."

Art Power was another star sprinter for King Power trained by Tim Easterby along with Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Winter Power.

"He's been a fantastic horse to train and took us to numerous Group 1 races," Easterby said. "He was ultra-game and consistent and kept on coming back from hard races and trying his best again. He's one of those horses you dream of having. 

"No matter whether it was firm, soft or heavy ground, whatever it was, he'd still run well. His Ascot win was fantastic and one of the best days we've had. We had such a wonderful time with him and he'll have a lovely retirement."

Art Power was also a frequent visitor to Ireland and won six of his ten starts there. Five of those came at the Curragh, where he won the Group 3 Renaissance Stakes three times.

He will enjoy his retirement in Ireland back at the place he was born, at Owenstown Stud in County Kildare.

Donald said: "He'll have a lovely time in the paddocks where he was born, and in a country he clearly had a love-affair with. Everyone at Tim's loved him, as did David Allan. Everyone would love to have one of those horses with that longevity and tries hard. He never let us down."

He retires having won ten of his 46 career starts, earning just over £890,000 in prize-money.

Read more . . .

Beaten Kinross hits 1.01 in-running as 40-1 Art Power battles back to land Champions Sprint Stakes

'His extraordinary ability set him apart' - unbeaten star Bow Echo in shock retirement

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