Incredible Minding was one of the best fillies I've trained - O'Brien

Minding, the beautiful filly who danced her way to seven Group 1 wins and gained a massive following from the racing public on the way, has been retired due to injury, her trainer Aidan O’Brien revealed on Thursday.

She goes into retirement with the accolade of being described by O’Brien as "one of the best fillies I have ever trained".

A dual Group 1 winner at two, Minding ruled the roost last season by winning the 1,000 Guineas, the Oaks, the Pretty Polly Stakes, the Nassau Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth ll Stakes, and in doing so advertised her brilliant versatility.

O’Brien said: "She was an incredible filly and was one of the best fillies I have trained. What she did was just incredible because she ran at the top level between a mile and a mile and a half as a three-year-old. To win five Group 1s at three is amazing really.

“She had the most brilliant physique and a wonderful pedigree. Above all, it was her mind that made her special because she was such a pleasure to deal with and had a brilliant attitude. She was incredibly well-named.”

The news comes less than three months after Minding posted an effortless reappearance win in the Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes at Naas, after which she sustained a pastern injury, which would ultimately end her career.

O’Brien said: “She injured her pastern and John [Halley, vet] just wasn’t happy for her to resume training yet. At this stage, we felt it would be a bit of a struggle to get her back for the remainder of the season so the lads decided that the best option was to retire her as she was too important.

“It was just going to take too much time with her, and while she will be absolutely fine, we felt that we were just running out of time for this season.

“We were very excited about what this year might hold for her as she had done incredibly well from three to four. She retained all of her pace and enthusiasm for racing. Unfortunately it didn’t work out but she will be something to look forward to at stud.”

Minding in numbers

13 runs
9 wins
7 Group 1s
2 Classics
£2,344,930 in prize-money

O’Brien added: “An awful lot of people played a vital part in her career and without them it would not have been possible and of course Ryan [Moore] rode her brilliantly in all of her races at three.

“Seamus [Heffernan] played a huge part in Minding's career as he rode her in all of her work and he was on board when she won her maiden at Leopardstown as well as when she won the Group 1 Moyglare Stakes at the Curragh.

“It was just a massive team effort and I would like to thank everybody who played a role in her success."