O'Brien pays tribute to 'extremely brave' Kew Gardens as Classic hero is retired

Connections have called time on the career of top staying talent Kew Gardens, with the 2018 St Leger hero retired to stand under the Coolmore National Hunt banner next season.

The tough-as-teak son of Galileo had not been seen since ending Stradivarius' mighty run of ten unbeaten Group successes in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup last October, with Aidan O'Brien paying tribute to "a top-class middle-distance horse".

"Kew Gardens is a big, good-looking horse, clear winded and an excellent mover," said O'Brien.

"He has a super mind and is extremely brave."

Kew Gardens: began his career by winning at Killarney in 2017Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Out of Con Collins' 2004 Moyglare Stakes heroine Chelsea Rose, the five-year-old was trained earlier this season with a tilt at the Dubai Gold Cup in mind, but he never travelled to the UAE during Covid-19's sporting shutdown and was not ready in time to face Stradivarius in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last week.

The 119-rated performer won six races, including in 2018 the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot, and amassed £1,399,666 in prize-money, finishing out of the first three on only four of his 17 starts.

He also filled the runner-up spot in two top-level events last season, chasing home Defoe in the Coronation Cup at Epsom and finishing closest to Search For A Song in the Irish St Leger.

Kew Gardens edged out Stradivarius in a brilliant finish to last year's Qipco British Champions Long Distance CupCredit: Charlie Crowhurst

Three of the best

William Hill St Leger Stakes (Group 1)
Doncaster, September 2018

The gutsy performer showed an impressive constitution to contest stakes races each month from April through to October during his three-year-old campaign, with his Classic triumph at Doncaster a dominant display, beating Lah Ti Dar by two and a quarter lengths.

Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2)
Ascot, October 2019

One of the standout battles on last year's Qipco British Champions Day card, the previous course winner responded to Donnacha O'Brien's every call to get the better of the exceptional Stradivarius by a nose.

Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (Group 1)
Longchamp, July 2018

It may not have been the most hotly-contested Group 1 of all time, but Ryan Moore delivered a tactically-astute ride to see the 7-5 favourite bag a first top-level contest, showing a fair deal of pace to strike over a mile and a half, having won the Queen's Vase over further on his previous outing.

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