Veteran sprinter retired after stellar career

Kingsgate Native, the evergreen sprinter who spent ten seasons dazzling on the track, has been retired at the age of 11 to take up residence at the British Racing School.

Winner of eight of his 60 starts and £851,420 in prize-money, the veteran rolled back the years at Nottingham in August to postpone any talk of retirement in the summer, but connections have finally called time on his remarkable career.

Kingsgate Native announced himself as a sprinter of considerable talent in 2007 when becoming the first two-year-old since Lyric Fantasy in 1992 to win the Nunthorpe Stakes. His other Group 1 success also came in his early years with trainer John Best and owner John Mayne as he landed the following year's Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

His trainer Robert Cowell said: "We are very proud and honoured to have played a small role in what has been an illustrious racing career for the evergreen and popular Kingsgate Native.

"Year on year he has shown remarkable grit and heart to consistently compete at the highest level, which is no ordinary feat when you look at the statistics. He has been a wonderful character to have in training, and I speak for all here at Bottisham Heath Stud when I say he will be dearly missed from our string.

"However, yet another chapter is due to begin. His new role at the BRS and the newly built Palace House Stables will enable racing fans and the public to see him up close, and also for young aspiring jockeys to learn their trade. We hope others will now get to see how he has endeared so many of us."

Having been bought by Cheveley Park Stud, a stallion career beckoned in 2009 but issues with fertility prompted a return to the track with Sir Michael Stoute, who trained the son of Mujadil for three years before he suffered a career-threatening tendon injury.

After a recuperation period, he returned to light training before joining Cowell, for whom he won a second Group 2 Temple Stakes in 2013. In each of his last four seasons, Kingsgate Native managed to enter the winner's enclosure.