Minzaal Retired After Fracturing Knee in Sprint Cup Win

Minzaal  has been retired after it emerged he fractured his left knee when bounding clear to capture a first group 1 success in the Betfair Sprint Cup (G1) at Haydock Sept. 3 but despite disappointment, trainer Owen Burrows is glad he was able to finish his racing career in "a blaze of glory."

The 4-year-old had placed at the elite level on three occasions before recording a career-best effort to strike by 3 1/4 lengths last Saturday. He achieved an impressive Racing Post Rating of 125 for the win and only Harry Angel has bettered that in the Sprint Cup in the last decade.

Burrows described him as sore following the race and tests have discovered he suffered an injury which will end his career. Connections had planned to retire him after a run on British Champions Day Oct. 15, and he was a general 5-2 favorite for the Sprint.

"He was pretty sore the next morning; we ran a few tests and X-rays and unfortunately he's got a fracture of his left knee. He's had to have a pin in but that's him retired," Burrows said.

"At Haydock he proved to everybody what we'd been seeing at home for the last couple of years, we knew he was certainly a group 1 horse. He didn't just get his head in front either, he went out in a blaze of glory. 

"The plan was to go to Ascot and that would have been his racing career finished anyway, but it's a shame we can't get there."

The Shadwell-owned Minzaal will now head to stud, where Burrows believes he should have a bright second career. By Mehmas , he won the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes (G2) at 2 and was placed at the top-level at 2 and 3. He won four of his 11 starts, finishing outside the top three on only two occasions, and amassed more than £470,000 (US$580,785) in prize-money.

"I'd say he'd be popular at stud," Burrows said. "He's got a lot going for him and his temperament is excellent. If he can pass that on through then he'll be a very popular stallion."