KAYF TARA RETIRED Kayf Tara, one of the principal players in the Godolphin success story, was retired yesterday. The decision was made when it emerged that the six-year-old, a dual winner of the Gold Cup, had suffered a recurrence of an old suspensory injury. It means that Kayf Tara will not take his place in the line up for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot on Saturday. Simon Crisford, the Godolphin racing manager, said: 'Kayf Tara has a been a wonderful flag-bearer for Godolphin and proved himself one of the great stayers. 'He showed great consistency and versatility during his career, winning at distances from a mile and a quarter to two and a half miles. His class and courage meant he succeeded twice in the Ascot Gold Cup over a trip that was not ideal for him.' Trainer Saeed bin Suroor, said: 'Kayf Tara was a great horse and achieved so much for Godolphin.' Kayf Tara took his tally to eight Pattern races - the most achieved by any Godolphin horse - with a victory in his last race, the Gold Cup, at Royal Ascot last month. He won 10 of his 15 starts, accumulating prize money of £671,351. A product of the Meon Valley Stud in Hampshire, Kayf Tara was bought for 210,000gns at the 1995 Tattersalls Houghton Yearling Sales by Sheikh Mohammed and raced under the ownership of Sheikh Ahmed. He joined Godolphin in the winter of 1997, after winning a 10-furlong Ascot maiden on the second of his two starts as a three-year-old when trained by Sir Michael Stoute. Kayf Tara won the Gold Cup for the first time in 1998 and rounded off that season with a convincing victory in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh. He claimed the Irish St Leger again the following year as well as the Goodwood Cup. But the 1999 campaign ended in disappointment when an attempt at landing Australia's Melbourne Cup had to be called off after Kayf Tara suffered the near-fore suspensory injury just three days before the race. He came back as good as ever, winning the Yorkshire Cup by four lengths on his seasonal debut in May and then he regained the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in another thrilling finish. Kayf Tara will now be going to stud, details of which will be finalised at a later date. -PA
