2,000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare has been
retired from racing to stand at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, writes Jack Lacey-Hatton.
Jim Bolger’s superstar colt, who also previously triumphed in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, was absent from the confirmation stage for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on British Champions day this weekend.
Now confirmation has come that he won’t return for another season in 2022.
Bolger acknowledged he was disappointed that his three year-old had failed to make the stalls at Ascot but said in the end it was not a viable option.
He told Thoroughbred Daily News: “I'm sure many racegoers will be disappointed not to see him at Ascot.
“I am disappointed myself that he is not going there, but it was not possible. He will be standing at Shadai and will be leaving soon for Japan.”
Poetic Flare won five races from eleven starts in total, kicking off 2021 with victory at Leopardstown in April and following that up with a brilliant British 2,000 Guineas win at Newmarket a month later.
After being edged out by stablemate Mac Swiney in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, his final run came in the Irish Champion Stakes last month at Leopardstown, where he finished third behind Tarnawa and St Mark’s Basilica, who has also since been retired to stud.
Always clad in the colours of Bolger’s wife Jackie, he was ridden throughout his career by the trainers’ son-in-law, Kevin Manning.
The son of Dawn Approach started off by winning the first two-year-old race of the 2020 season at Naas, but was lightly raced and only re-appeared in October, notching another win in the Killavullan Stakes.
He retires with total earnings in access of £1million, and also finished second in the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville as well as the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.