Royal Rebel gets through for one of his Gold Cup victories
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The 2001 and 2002 Ascot Gold Cup winner Royal Rebel has been retired.
The nine-year-old ran his last race in Saturday's Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot at York, finishing a distant sixth.
Owned by former British Horseracing Board Chairman Peter Savill, the horse will now be sent to his owner's stud in Ireland.
"It wasn't the end we had hoped for, but we've got some great memories," said his trainer Mark Johnston.
Royal Rebel ran in 39 races, all but four of them Group or Listed races, for seven wins and almost £470,000 in prize money but his most famous successes came at Royal Ascot where he fought out some close finishes.
"I under-estimated him when he won his first Gold Cup," admitted Johnston.
"I thought it must have been a weak Gold Cup, but he won it again the following year beating Vinnie Roe and there aren't many horses that win it twice. He was a great horse and had a lot of class all his life."
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