Dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin is set to retire to stud following a final run in the Japan Cup in November.
The son of Deep Impact is a six-times Group/Grade One winner, landing the Futurity Trophy as a juvenile before securing Derby glory at both and Epsom and the Curragh last year.
He subsequently claimed the Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders' Cup Turf at three before winning the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier this summer.
It is fitting he will return to the country in which his sire made his name for his final on-track appearance before commencing stallion duties for the 2025 season at Coolmore’s base in Ireland.
"Auguste Rodin is out of Rhododendron, one of the best Galileo mares, and by Deep Impact, Japan’s best stallion," said Aidan O’Brien, who has overseen the colt’s career.
"He connects two of the most powerful breeding lines in the world. He has been a pleasure and a privilege to train.
"He is just a very unique horse and we’re very excited to see what he will achieve at stud. We will be supporting him with our own mares."
Auguste Rodin has been ridden in all but one of his races by Ryan Moore, who added: "He’s been an unbelievable horse for us. We have always thought the world of him. He has everything you’d want.
"He has so much pace. He could kill horses for speed, and he was able to stretch that out over 12 furlongs. Horses like him are so hard to find. An incredible horse."
Coolmore’s MV Magnier is excited to see Auguste Rodin join the stallion ranks, rating him alongside some of the very best sires to stand at the stud.
He said: "Auguste Rodin is an exceptional racehorse and stallion prospect with the blend of class, speed and pedigree that only the best possess.
"He is a very special horse for us, and I truly believe he ranks up there with the best middle-distance racehorses and sires that we have stood here before him like Sadler’s Wells, Galileo, Montjeu, Caerleon and Camelot.
"Physically he fills the eye so well as he has extra quality and movement so I can’t wait to see his first crop in Ballydoyle in 2028. We are going to do all we can to give him the best possible opportunity to follow in his illustrious predecessor’s footsteps."
Meanwhile, Duran Fentiman is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a double leg break at Pontefract on Thursday.
Fentiman was set to partner Tim Easterby's two-year-old Cangofar in a novice contest but he parted company after the horse jinked on the way to the start.
The rider, who has ridden 21 winners this term, was taken to hospital in Leeds where he is set to undergo surgery on Friday having broken both his tibia and fibula.
"He has suffered a lower leg break and has broke his tibia and fibula in two places," said Fentiman’s agent Paul Brierley, who plans to visit the jockey on Friday evening.
"I spoke to Duran last night and this morning and he is scheduled to go down for an operation. When I spoke to him this morning he was next in line and it is just a case of getting the operation done.
"In himself he’s a bit tired because he wouldn’t have had much sleep. It’s obviously very painful, but at the same time he is obviously disappointed because he is having such a good year as well. It’s typical horseracing where you can have the rug pulled from under your feet at any time."
There was a lengthy delay to racing as Fentiman was first made stable on course before being transferred to hospital, with the remaining races on the card subsequently abandoned due to the lack of an available replacement ambulance.
Thoughts now turn to Fentiman’s recovery, with the jockey, who recently partnered his 400th career winner, thankful for all the messages he has received following Thursday’s incident.
"Duran is all right in terms of chatting away, but yesterday quite a lot of the delay was due to getting Duran comfortable and stable because the break was obviously not a straight forward one," continued Brierley.
"The horse just jinked and it was a fairly big two-year-old as well, so it was a fair way down. Ninety-nine times out of 100 you'd land on your feet or roll around, but he’s just landed and the leg has broke. We’ll just have to see, but I would assume that is 2024 finished.
"The main thing is he’s in the right place and it’s amazing what they can do with sports injuries these days.
"I’ve had hundreds and hundreds of messages and I would like to pass on that Duran appreciates all the messages and well-wishes he’s received."
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