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Dual classic winner Blue Bunting retired Godolphin's Group 1 One Thousand Guineas and Group 1 Irish Oaks heroine Blue Bunting has been retired, according to godolphin.com. The dual classic winner, who also garnered last term's Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks, sustained a leg injury during preparations for the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on World Cup day, but veterinary advice suggested an extended recovery period would be required before the four-year-old gray could resume training. She will instead visit the breeding shed to be covered by Darley stallion Street Cry. Blue Bunting was a last-out sixth in the Group 1 St Leger and retires with a record of 8-5-1-0, and earnings of £645,563. "Because Blue Bunting would have needed a long period of recuperation before coming back into training, the decision has been made to retire her to stud for an early covering," racing manager Simon Crisford said. "It is a pity she will not have the chance again to show what a brilliant racehorse she was, but we look forward to her becoming a great success at stud. She won two classics in Europe last year, and followed up her stunning One Thousand Guineas triumph over a mile at Newmarket with a game victory over half a mile farther in the Irish Oaks at The Curragh. Blue Bunting then took on older fillies and mares for the first time when winning the Yorkshire Oaks in good style." "Blue Bunting will be a filly who I will always remember because of what she has done," trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni added. "She gave me my first classic victory in both Britain and Ireland, and it is both sad and good that she is retiring to stud. It is sad because I will no longer be training her for the best races, but good as, hopefully, I will train her babies. Blue Bunting was an easy filly to train, she knew her business very well and turned into a top-class racehorse." Blue Bunting is by Dynaformer and was produced by Miarixa, an unraced daughter of French black-type winner and Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary third Mrs Arkada. Bred by Brad Kelley, Blue Bunting was sold to Anthony Stroud for $200,000 at the 2009 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Miarixa was sent through Fasig's November Sale three months ago and was hammered down to Blandford Bloodstock for $1.2 million. She was not in foal.
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