Wathnan Racing’s Gold Cup Winner Courage Mon Ami Retired

[Wandering Eyes]

Courage Mon Ami, the winner of the 2023 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, has been retired from racing after failing to recover sufficiently from a tibia injury.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Courage Mon Ami sported the now-familiar silks of Wathnan Racing when defeating Coltrane and Subjectivist in the Gold Cup, having been bought privately by the Emir of Qatar's burgeoning operation after his victory in a Goodwood handicap the previous month, his third win from as many starts for owner-breeder Anthony Oppenheimer.

As well as becoming Wathnan's first Group 1 winner when enjoying his career high at Royal Ascot, the son of Frankel was also providing Frankie Dettori with a landmark success in his final season riding in Britain.

Sadly, Courage Mon Ami himself has been an infrequent visitor to British racecourses since his Gold Cup win, having been sidelined by injury after his runner-up finish in that season's Lonsdale Cup at York.

John Gosden said, “What a day Courage Mon Ami gave us all at Royal Ascot. It was a cool ride by Frankie, but Courage Mon Ami was so determined and he simply wasn't going to be beaten.

“For Wathnan to land the Group 1 with just their third runner and be presented with the Gold Cup by the King – what a story! It was a dream start and surely helped ignite a real passion for racing and for Royal Ascot.

“Courage Mon Ami is an enormous horse and, though he was so willing in all of his exercise, and we got close a couple of times, he just isn't going to be able to return to racing.”

The six-year-old Courage Mon Ami will now move to the Emir of Qatar's Wathnan Stud just outside Doha.

Gosden added, “He's a real yard favourite and it's wonderful that he's going to have a splendid retirement where the Emir can visit him. He richly deserves it.”

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