CONSTITUTION RIVER RETIRED TO STUD AFTER TENDON LESION FOUND IN VET CHECK

Constitution River, this year's French Derby and Eclipse winner, has been retired from racing and will stand at Coolmore from 2027 after a tendon problem was found during a routine end-of-season veterinary check. The news was announced on Friday.

Aidan O'Brien's colt was found to have a lesion on his left front tendon during the evaluation, which the Ballydoyle trainer says is carried out on every horse at the end of each year. With no guarantee that the colt would be ready for his major targets next season, connections decided not to take any chances and to retire him now.

O'Brien described the news as "incredibly disappointing". He added that Constitution River had been the horse the team was most looking forward to keeping in training in 2027, and that he and his jockey rated him among the most brilliant three-year-olds the yard has had. The trainer also said the colt had done more than enough to earn his place in the stallion barn.

A season of big-race performances

Constitution River's year was defined by two Group One wins. He took the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly despite being drawn in stall 15, and his winning time was the third-fastest since the race was shortened to a mile and two furlongs. He then beat older horses by three lengths in the Eclipse Stakes.

He was third in both the Juddmonte International and the Irish Champion Stakes, before ending his campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Champion Stakes, which was won by Ombudsman.

Stud career at Coolmore

A Coolmore statement said that following the routine end-of-season evaluation, Constitution River has been retired and will join the stud's roster as a headline addition for the 2027 breeding season. No stud fee was included in the details available at the time of writing.

Coolmore's director of sales, David O'Loughlin, said it was disappointing not to see the colt run on and show the best of his ability, but that the stud was delighted to have him. He praised the colt as an outstanding physical specimen with a pedigree suited to a stallion, and said he expected breeders to take to him.

His retirement removes one of Ballydoyle's leading hopes for top-level middle-distance honours in 2027.