Ebadiyla misses Arc and is retired

Ebadiyla, last season's Irish Oaks and French St Leger winner, has been retired, just days before an intended appearance in the…

Ebadiyla, last season's Irish Oaks and French St Leger winner, has been retired, just days before an intended appearance in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

The John Oxx-trained filly pulled a hamstring earlier in the week and her connections ran out of time to get her ready for the Arc. It's the second blow for Ebadiyla who was withdrawn from the start of the Irish St Leger with a nose bleed.

"It's very disappointing. She was trained all year for the Irish Leger and the Arc and has not been able to run in either," Oxx said at the Newmarket sales yesterday.

He added: "She has been a really good racehorse, winning two classics, but she has not been the luckiest. She never got soft ground as often as she would have liked. I hope she will now become a great broodmare for His Highness, the Aga Khan."

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column