Racing:Ouija Board has been ruled out of the Hong Kong Vase and retired by her owner Lord Derby hours after a problem was detected on the mare's near-fore.
The five-year-old, a hot favourite for the Group 1 Vase tomorrow, was found to be sore when undergoing a routine examination by a HKJC vet and was officially scratched from the race at 4pm local time by her trainer Ed Dunlop.
Dunlop said: "It is a very very sad end to her career and an emotional day for everyone who have put in a huge team effort.
"This morning, much to our surprise, the mare wasn't quite right. We x-rayed the leg and the damage was unremarkable, but she has jarred herself either on the dirt or the grass and we decided that enough was enough.
"I was with the owner Lord Derby, my own vet and the Hong Kong vets and we all agreed it was the right decision."
The Newmarket trainer gave Ouija Board some light exercise but added: "She had a canter but she was still slightly sore and there was a risk of further damaging her if we'd run.
"It is the same front splint that she injured two years ago in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at (Royal Ascot at) York."
Dunlop suggested Britain's favourite racehorse will be shipped home rather than head to Kentucky, where she was set to be covered at Lane's End Farm.
He went on: "I'm not entirely sure where she'll be shipped but there's a good chance we shall bring her back to Britain where we can monitor the injury."
Ouija Board has accumulated a massive following with racing crowds the world over and was at the end of a remarkable season which saw her race in places such as Dubai, the United States, Ireland and Japan.
She has become the most successful Breeders' Cup horse in history after landing the Filly And Mare Turf at Churchill Downs, her second success in that race, while on what turned out to be her final start she finished an honourable third to Deep Impact in the Japan Cup.
Ironically she had looked as good as ever in her demeanour and work since arriving in Hong Kong.
Lord Derby was understandably upset that the mare had been
denied the chance to go out in style.
"We are beside ourselves with worry," said Derby.
"She was only going out for a brief trot this morning and she came back and just didn't look quite right and so we thought we would have a closer look at things.
"We decided to let her have short canter on the racecourse this afternoon but we just weren't happy with her.
"It stems back to the problem she had in the early part of her four-year-old career and we looked at it and we all had only one thing in mind for a horse that we all love," he told At The Races.
"We have definitely pulled her and she is not going to run. She has had a glittering career and we will always look back on the positives."