Almanzor, last season’s champion three-year-old in Europe, has been retired.

Trained in France by Jean-Claude Rouget, Almanzor won the French Derby, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Almanzor stayed in training as a four-year-old with a view to running in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly in October.

But he did not return to action until last Tuesday, when he was a disappointing fifth in a Group Three race at Deauville, and time has now been called on a glittering career.

Sylvain Vidal, racing manager for part-owner Gerard Augustin-Normand, said it had not been an easy decision.

“I spoke with all the team, and we have taken the decision to retire the horse,” Vidal said.

“It was not an easy decision to take, but everyone was in 100 per cent agreement that it was the right thing to do.

“The plan was to go to the Arc, but after his performance last week we could not have gone there expecting to win.

“He was a very good horse and was the best three-year-old in Europe.

“He has done everything he needs to do on a racecourse.”

Almanzor won eight times from 11 starts.

Vidal said stud details for Almanzor would be announced in a few weeks.

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