Workforce is retired to stud

The four-year-old colt, owned by Khalid Abdullah and bred by his Juddmonte Farms operation, will stand at Teruya Yoshida’s Shadai Farm in Japan.

“He’s going to Shadai Stud in Japan,” said Abdullah’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe. “He’s been a wonderful horse. To win a Derby and an Arc was pretty exceptional.” Workforce, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, was unable to match his two 2010 Group One successes this season, however.

After making a winning seasonal debut in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May, he was runner-up in both the Coral-Eclipse Stakes and King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. His last start was in the Arc but he never looked like repeating last year’s triumph and was well-beaten in 12th behind Danedream.

The son of King’s Best won four of his nine starts and amassed £3,200,000 in prize money.

Meanwhile, former Edinburgh University student Sam Waley-Cohen feels there is plenty more to come from Long Run, despite having already won a King George and a Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Nicky Henderson’s six-year-old is due to make his seasonal return in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday, for which he was one of eight top-class chasers to stand their ground.

His victory in the blue riband event last season was a feel-good story for the sport as Waley-Cohen is an amateur jockey and was riding in father Robert’s silks.

Long Run joined Henderson after winning a Grade One in France, and it is no secret connections have given him extensive schooling over British-style fences to iron out a few kinks. But while he is two years younger than Diamond Harry, one of his rivals on Saturday, Long Run has far more experience and has had five more starts. “He’s not actually that lightly raced. The French programme is quite extensive for such young horses so he has a surprising amount of mileage on the clock,” said Waley-Cohen jnr.

Long Run had the legendary Kauto Star back in third when winning the Gold Cup in March.

He also beat Paul Nicholls’ charge when he was going for a fifth straight win in the King George at Kempton. Kauto Star turns 12 on New Year’s Day and will be bidding for his fourth win in the race, but Nicholls is not entertaining any talk of retirement “I’ve just got a feeling he’ll run a really big race,” said Nicholls.