Mick Channon hailed Opal Tiara's victory over Hydrangea at the Curragh on Saturday as "a great way to bow out".
Sent off at 10-1 for the Group Two Lanwades Stud Stakes, the five-year-old was running her last race as she is in foal to Churchill.
While she was a long way behind Aidan O'Brien's Group One scorer Hydrangea on the figures, Ronan Whelan brought her with a storming run to win by nearly two lengths.
The West Ilsley handler told www.mickchannon.tv: "That was great for everyone concerned, particularly Gill Hedley with whom I bred her.
"We have a half-sister by Kodiac at the stud and it just goes to show how a bit of patience and determination can lead to fun further down the line.
"Everything she's done since hosing up as a two-year-old at Wolves had her down as a talent who would take us places and she's picked up black type all the way through her career and yesterday was the icing on the cake.
"A job well done by everyone and it would seem that is the end of her race career but it's a great way to bow out."
Opal Tiara has won six of her 28 races and earned over £370,000 in prize-money.
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