Order Of Australia has suffered an injury in the build-up to his Breeders' Cup Mile defence, trainer Aidan O'Brien ruling him out of Del Mar and calling time on his racing career.
The son of Australia led home an unprecedented one-two-three for the Ballydoyle trainer when beating Circus Maximus and Lope Y Fernandez in the 2020 Mile at Keeneland, despite being one of the outsiders of the field and a spare ride for French jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot on that occasion.
He hasn't quite been able to match the same level of form this time around, adding just one victory to his tally when taking a Curragh Group Two over seven furlongs on July 18.
Speaking on a Breeders' Cup media conference call on Wednesday evening, O'Brien confirmed the scratching and promptly pointed at retirement to stud as the next likely port of call.
He said: "He probably won't get to race again, he's had a small fracture and was going to get a pin put in it this morning.
"The operation and everything went well and he'll go off to stud now."
O’Brien will still be represented in the Mile by Mother Earth, winner of the 1000 Guineas and the Prix Rothschild.
As it stands Love is O’Brien’s only definite runner in the Breeders’ Cup Turf – but he may switch her to the Filly & Mare Turf to allow first reserve Japan to get in the race. He also has Broome, Bolshoi Ballet and Mogul as reserves for the Turf.
“It is very possible that could happen. I think the American handicap system is a little bit different to ours,” said the Ballydoyle trainer.
“It wasn’t on ratings horses were getting in. We have four Group One winners who are all reserves so it is possible we might have to take Love out of it and run her in the Filly & Mares to give the other horses a chance to get into the Turf.
“The horses are due to fly on Saturday. We’ll have an idea by then what chance they have of getting in or not.”
O’Brien also has Glounthaune in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He has recovered from the slight setback that prevented him from running in France last weekend.
“He steps up to a mile for the first time, but we always thought that was within his compass of distances” he added of the Dewhurst sixth.
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