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| Sumita Pawar |
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Subjectivist, the emphatic champion of the 2021 Gold Cup, has been forced into retirement after a disappointing performance this week due to lameness.
The talented staying star, who triumphed over Princess Zoe by five lengths at Royal Ascot, had been preparing for the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup next month. However, a tendon injury incurred during his Gold Cup victory seriously threatened his career.
From Recovery To Royal Success
Thankfully, trainer Charlie Johnston diligently nursed him back to optimal fitness. Following his return to Saudi Arabia in February and a commendable third-place finish in the Dubai Gold Cup, Subjectivist continued to impress by securing the same position at Royal Ascot behind Courage Mon Ami.
Regrettably, his aspirations for a successful racing career have been cut short after a setback on Tuesday. Consequently, his future endeavors will now involve serving as a stallion.
Johnston said, “Subjectivist came back for an encore this year, but we’ve been on borrowed time with him for a while. It was an incredible performance from my team to get him to Ascot in the first place last month, let alone finish third.
“After Ascot, the scans on the tendon injury he did two years ago changed. The stresses of running two and a half miles at that level took its toll. We gave him a fortnight of swimming and water walking and he cantered on Tuesday. Sadly, he was lame on Wednesday morning.
“We’ve been balancing risk and reward for 18 months and I would hate to do the horse any damage so we’ve decided to retire him. Goodwood was going to be his swansong, win, lose, or draw, in any case."
According to Johnston, Subjectivist, who achieved victory in six out of his 20 races and accumulated over £890,000 in prize money, did not receive the acknowledgement he deserved. “The Gold Cup win was definitely the highlight,” Johnston said, “He was brilliant that day, yet he never really got the acclaim he deserved. Many people were focusing on Frankie Dettori’s ride on the favourite Stradivarius even though Subjectivist had just dismantled a top-class field.
“At that point in time I genuinely thought Subjectivist would go on to emulate Yeats and dominate that division for a long time. He was a champion stayer, and my regret is that we only got to see how good he really was during a six-month window.”
The 6YO, a son of Teofilo, is likely to go to stud and Johnston added, “A few people have asked about him and expressed an interest."
In 2020, Subjectivist showcased his potential as a top talent by winning the Listed Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton. He followed this up with a third-place finish in the Gordon Stakes, a Gr.3 race that featured four Derby runners out of a field of six. Returning to Goodwood, he dominated the March Stakes, winning by an impressive 15 lengths.
Subjectivist's first taste of Gr.1 success came in the autumn when he led from start to finish, defeating Valia by two lengths in the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp. After a break during the winter, the talented horse, owned by Dr. Jim Walker, returned to the track and secured victory in the Gr.2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan before ultimately triumphing in the Gold Cup.