Dual Group 1 scorer Kew Gardens has been retired from racing and will take up stallion duties at Coolmore’s National Hunt arm for the 2021 breeding season.
The five-year-old made his debut in a seven furlong maiden in August 2017 before stepping up to a mile to secure the first victory of his career 16 days later. He rounded off his juvenile season with a three and a half length success over Dee Ex Bee in the Listed Zetland Stakes.
At three, Kew Gardens landed the Group 2 Queen’s Vase and followed that win by taking the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris. A second Group 1 was to follow later that season as he proved far too good for the likes of Lah Ti Dar, Old Persion and Dee Ex Bee in the St Leger.
As a four-year-old, Kew Gardens finished runner-up on three occasions before ending Stradivarius’ run of ten unbeaten Group successes in the Group 2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup last October.
Bred by Barronstown Stud, Kew Gardens is by Coolmore’s perennial champion sire Galileo and is out of the Desert King mare Chelsea Rose, whose biggest success came when landing the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes in 2004.
Nurtured by Aidan O’Brien throughout his career, the trainer paid tribute to Kew Gardens following his retirement and said: “Kew Gardens is a big, good-looking horse, clear winded and an excellent mover.
“He has a super mind and is extremely brave. He was a top-class middle-distance horse.”
