Veteran Megalala could have run final race of remarkable career

Next season there could be a familiar name missing from racecards, especially at Brighton, as the evergreen Megalala may not return for another campaign.

John Bridger's wonderful veteran has been competing for over a decade, and in June 2016 became the oldest horse to win on the Flat in Britain since 1945 when scoring at Lingfield.

However the 16-year-old has been unable to break his own record this season, and while the fire may still burn bright, he has been finishing nearer to last than first, and on Monday he came home 12th of 12 at Windsor behind stablemate Betsalottie.

"We'll turn him out for the winter and see what he's like in the spring but I would think he's retired," Bridger said on Tuesday.

"He's come back like a wild lion this morning, he still thinks he's a racehorse."

Front-running tactics have proved profitable for Megalala during his career, but trying to out-run horses with younger legs and less miles on the clock is becoming an increasingly tough ask for a horse who has had 148 starts since April 21, 2005.

"He's sound as a pound and his heart's in it but he's not got the pace of the babies now. He's like me, he doesn't want to stop, but he might have to," Bridger added.

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