Side Glance, centre© Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Andrew Balding has paid tribute to globetrotting star Side Glance following his retirement from racing.
In a 40-race career the son of Passing Glance, who has been on box rest with a leg injury, won more than £1.7million in prize-money along with tasting victory on eight occasions.
His most notable achievement came at Flemington in 2013 when surging to victory in the Grade One Mackinnon Stakes under Jamie Spencer, while he twice finished third in the Arlington Million.
The eight year-old was a dual Pattern-race winner in Britain having landed the 2011 Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury and the 2012 Diomed Stakes at Epsom.
The Pearl Bloodstock-owned gelding's final run came in March when finishing eighth behind Prince Bishop in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan, a race he was fourth in twice.
The Kingsclere handler said: "Winning the Mackinnon Stakes must rank as the highlight, but his fourth place in last year's Cox Plate, when he was beaten just half a length, was a brilliant effort.
"He was so courageous, durable and versatile - he was third to Frankel over a mile in one of the strongest Queen Anne Stakes there has ever been, and went on to be top-class over 10 furlongs.
"Horses like him, that can take you to the big occasion, are always nice to have - he has run in Hong Kong, Singapore, America, Canada, Australia, Dubai, and always went with a chance of winning.
"We'll miss him, because he was bred by my mother and has been here since he was a foal, but he's going to a good home."
Side Glance will now spend the rest of life at a private yard in Oxfordshire run by Sarah Friend.
Although his days as a racehorse are now over, Friend believes he could carve out a new career participating in showing classes run by Retraining of Racehorses (RoR).
Friend said: "I like my horses to be all-rounders, so he will see a bit of everything and that way we'll see what he takes to.
"I think he has the potential for showing, because his conformation is correct, and in most RoR classes the horses are bay, and he will really stand out being black and stunning.
"Taking in a horse like this is so rewarding."
