Jockey Chris Hayes stated he’s heartbroken he won’t get the possibility to attempt to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) on Ezeliya after the spectacular Oaks (G1) winner at Epson was retired July 6 following a coaching setback.
Her legendary coach, Dermot Weld, stated the setback was sufficient to maintain her out of motion for the remainder of the season. He, too, had been enthusiastic about having a crack on the Arc.
Weld stated: “Ezeliya was a superb winner of the Oaks, and I used to be trying ahead to coaching her for the Irish equal and the Arc within the autumn, however she simply met a slight coaching setback. It wasn’t something main, however it was ample to cease her working for the remainder of the yr.
🔔 2024 Oaks winner Ezeliya has sadly been retired as a consequence of a setback. ☹️ Enormous blow for @AgaKhanStuds and Dermot Weld, however we want her all the perfect in retirement!👇 What a efficiency this was! 🤩pic.twitter.com/8JZxgsZzrR— oddschecker (@oddschecker) July 6, 2024
“It was solely a slight setback however it was sufficient to imply I would not have the ability to get her match for the Irish Oaks, clearly given it is just a few weeks away, and she or he would not have the ability to have a prep race for the Arc both so it was determined she can be retired. And he or she’s retiring to affix these different champion fillies who I skilled.”Join BloodHorse Every day
Ezeliya, owned by His Highness the Aga Khan, was electrical at Epsom within the Oaks. She assumed command early within the dwelling straight and stormed to a three-length success over Dance Sequence .
It was a second Oaks success for Weld, 43 years after his first with Blue Wind, and Ezeliya seemed like a filly who might take the second half of the season by storm.
Hayes stated of her Epsom show: “In case you have been to write down down precisely the way you wished a race to go, that was it. It actually couldn’t have gone any higher for me. I received the leap I wished, I received the place I wished, she did not over-race, she dealt with the undulations, she swung down off the hill into the straight, she stored balanced and I used to be solely getting stronger on the line.
“We have been quietly assured going into the race, however she put up an even bigger efficiency than I envisaged beforehand. She was an distinctive filly.”
Ezeliya is a basic winner, however Hayes is satisfied the perfect was but to return.
He stated: “I believe we had solely scratched the floor along with her. I used to be trying ahead to the Irish Oaks and having a very good journey within the Arc.
“I actually did suppose we had an opportunity of giving the Arc a proper good rattle later within the yr, however this stuff occur and it is nice that she has retired in a single piece. She’s a really precious filly and, typical of the Aga Khan, she’s received a beautiful pedigree.”
Hayes added: “She would not poke your eye out size-wise, however bodily she developed and stuffed out into her body, and there was a presence about her. She had an exquisite motion and was very well-balanced.
“And the best way that man (Weld) trains, you have been solely going to get to see the perfect of her over the second half of the season. It is heartbreaking, however she’ll go dwelling to Gilltown now, and hopefully I am nonetheless round to journey a few of her offspring!”
Ezeliya received three of her 4 begins, touchdown the Salsabil Stakes (G3) at Navan earlier than she went on to attain so impressively at Epsom.
