Two rising stars Alpha Centauri and Saxon Warrior have both had their flourishing careers cut short because of the injuries they sustained at Leopardstown last weekend.

 

Jessica Harrington trained Alpha Centauri has been the unbeaten star performer of the European flat season in 2018. She landed the Irish Tattersalls One Thousand Guineas, Gr.1 Coronation Stakes, Gr.1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes, and Gr.1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois. And was hoping to land her fifth Group One in a row in the Gr.1 Rock Matron Stakes. However the Niarchos family's filly was beaten by Laurens, who beat her by three-quarters of a length.

 

Alpha Centauri was reported to be clinically abnormal after the race, in which she chipped a joint in her fetlock, and the decision to retire her was made Sunday afternoon.

 

Alpha Centauri won six of her 10 starts for earnings of £1,254,827 ($1,639,990) and was partnered in all her races by jockey Colm O'Donoghue.

 

Gr.1 Racing Post Trophy (2017) and Gr.1 Two Thousand Guineas winner Saxon Warrior was beaten a neck by Roaring Lion in a thrilling Gr.1 Irish Champion Stakes last weekend. 

 

Plans had been drawn up to head to Ascot next month for the Gr.1 QEII but instead trainer Aidan O'Brien revealed Sunday that he has been retired.

 

"He was sore when he got home from Leopardstown."

 

"Our vet John Halley examined him and after the horse was scanned John told me he had quite a significant core lesion to his flexor tendon. O'Brien explained.

 

The son of Deep Impact won four of his nine starts for the Coolmore partners, for earnings of £1,112,467 ($1,481,978).