Turbo-charged Blackbeard is forced to retire at just TWO-years-old in massive blow to Aidan O’Brien

Aidan O’Brien has suffered a massive blow after Blackbeard, his turbo-charged two-year-old, sustained an injury on the gallops and was forced into retirement.

The winner of the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes on his last two runs, Blackbeard was due to head O’Brien’s team at next week’s Breeders’ Cup meeting and was 3-1 favourite for the Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland in Kentucky.

O’Brien had spoken of how he thought the high tempo of US racing would play to Blackbeard’s strengths. But yesterday he said: ‘Blackbeard was a little off after his morning exercise in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup. 

Blackbeard has been retired after sustaining a chipped right knee that showed up on X-rays

‘Unfortunately, when we had him X-rayed the radiographs showed a small chip in his right knee and a decision has been made to retire him.’

His future is now at his owners’ Coolmore Stud, who have announced that Rock Of Gibraltar has died of heart failure at the age of 23.

Rock Of Gibraltar won the 2,000 Guineas, Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes and Prix Du Moulin in 2002, part of a sequence in which he won seven consecutive Group One races.

The sire was one of the most successful that Sir Alex Ferguson owned in his time in racing

But Rock of Gibraltar is probably best remembered for the acrimonious wrangle between part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson and Coolmore supremo John Magnier, over the breeding rights to the colt. 

The row led to Magnier and racing associate JP McManus, then the main shareholders in Manchester United, selling their shares, opening up the opportunity for the Glazers to take over at Old Trafford.

Ahoy Senor and Bravemansgame will renew their rivalry in Saturday’s Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

The dispute over the racehose led to widespread protests at the club and to the takeover by the Glazer family