Vodafone Epsom Derby winner North Light has been retired.
A pelvic injury forced the retirement of North Light, winner of the 2004 Vodafone Epsom Derby (Eng-I) and runner-up in the Irish equivalent, the Budweiser Irish Derby (Ire-I).His trainer, Michael Stoute, said: "North Light has sustained a stress fracture of the right ilial wing (in the pelvis) and will now be retired. He has been a joy to train and we shall long remember his victories in the (Totesport) Dante Stakes (Eng-II) and Epsom Derby."Irish-bred North Light was bred by and raced for Ballymacoll Stud. He ended 2004 by finishing fifth to Bago in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Lucien Barriere (Fr-I) and raced once this year, coming home second to New Morning in the Betfair.com Brigadier Gerard Stakes (Eng-III) at Sandown Park May 31 when looking uncomfortable on the fast ground.Peter Reynolds, manager of Ballymacoll Stud, remarked: "We are all gutted here in Ballymacoll. We bred him, his mother, and his grandmother."He was such a brave horse at Epsom. I feel that possibly that was even the undoing of the horse on that fast ground. He was very unlucky because he hit fast ground again in both the Irish Derby and the Arc, which is unheard of. I suppose Sandown was the final straw."North Light, by Danehill, retired with three wins and three seconds from seven starts and earnings of $1,989,577 from racing at ages two through four. His dam, Sought Out (by Rainbow Quest), was a champion twice in France and once in Germany.A decision has not been reached as to where North Light will enter stud.
