He owes us nothing: Ruth Carr hails Sovereign Debt after star is retired

Ruth Carr paid tribute to stable star Sovereign Debt, who has been retired two days after finishing fourth at Epsom.

Explaining the decision on Wednesday, the trainer said of the Group 2-winning nine-year-old: "Sov ran well at Epsom on Monday giving weight away all round but a decision was made this morning to retire him as his joints aren't what they used to be.

"He owes nobody a thing and deserves a long and happy retirement. For the time being he will stay here at Mowbray, but he's such a fantastic-looking horse with masses of presence so it would be a shame if he wasn't seen out and about in the future, perhaps in the showing world."

Sovereign Debt arrived at Carr's yard last April from the late David Nicholls as an eight-year-old and 11-time winner, including a Group 2 at Doha and the Group 3 Concorde Stakes.

Watch Sovereign Debt's Diomed win

In the early part of that season, he added the All-Weather Mile Championships at Lingfield, a race he finished second in for the previous two years, followed by the Group 2 bet365 Mile at Sandown and the Group 3 Diomed Stakes at Epsom on Derby day.

Carr added: "The three wins on the bounce were fantastic and raised the profile of the yard massively – the press interest was huge too. After winning the Diomed at Epsom I had a little taste of what it was like to be Aidan O'Brien, surrounded by journalists, microphones and cameras!"

Carr with stable star Sovereign DebtCredit: Louise Pollard

After that burst of success, Sovereign Debt, who started his career with Michael Bell and finished a distant second to Farhh in the 2013 Lockinge, continued to run well in Group races without winning again.

He started 2018 quietly before recording what would be his final win in the Listed Ganton Stakes at York in June.

Sovereign Debt's career stands at 15 wins from 63 runs, with total career earnings of more than £812,000 for his owners – which since May 2014 had been Lady O'Reilly and various partners.

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