Group 1-Winning Sprinter Brando Retires at Age 9

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Group 1-Winning Sprinter Brando Retires at Age 9
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Photo: Edward Whitaker/Racing Post
Brando wins the 2016 Sprint Stakes at Sandown

The remarkably durable 9-year-old Brando  has been retired after finishing 12th on his sixth and final crack at the Oct. 16 QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes (G1).

He was beaten just a nose by Glen Shiel  when second in the Ascot group 1 event last year and had also finished third, fourth (twice), and sixth in the race in previous years.

Angie Bailey's sprinter did score at the top level in the LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1) at Deauville in 2017, 11 months after he had given Kevin Ryan the fourth of his five victories in the Williiam Hill Ayr Gold Cup.

Brando will spend his retirement with the trainer's daughter Amy and partner Tom Eaves, who rode him through most of his career, and Ryan said: "I had it in my mind that win, lose, or draw on Saturday it was probably time to pull up stumps. We owe him more than he owes us.

"He's going to Tom and Amy, they have a yard next to my gallops and he's going to be retired there, he'll have a great life for the rest of his days. He's raced at the top level for so long, it's amazing really."

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The son of Pivotal  was bred by Car Colston Hall Stud and is the second top level scorer produced by the Silver Hawk mare Aregent Du Bois, who is also the dam of American Oaks Invitational (G1T) and Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) captress Ticker Tape .

Brando, who was bought for 115,000 guineas (US$202,003) at the Newmarket breeze-up sale in 2014, earned nearly £1.15 million (US$1,513,752) in prize money and retires with a record of 9-12-7 from 53 trips to the post.

Ryan picked out the Maurice de Gheest, in a season when his North Yorkshire yard was hit by an equine herpes virus outbreak, as a particular highlight, and said: "That year we got closed down and within a fortnight of getting back racing he went and won a group 1 for me so that was very special. It's a day I'll never forget."  

On top of his Deauville and Ayr successes, the chestnut gelding also won at the group 3 level in the Coral Charge Sprint Stakes at Sandown and two runnings of the Connaught Access Flooring Abernant Stakes at Newmarket.

Though unable to find the winner's circle this year, he was beaten less than three lengths when seventh in the July 10 Darley July Cup (G1) at Newmarket and was fourth in the Aug. 8 Maurice de Gheest—a race in which he also finished second in 2019.