HURDLER De Bon Coeur, winner of 13 of her 16 career starts, including three Grade 1s and a total of 10 graded races, has been retired, her trainer, François Nicolle, announced on Wednesday morning.

Despite being below par when finishing second behind the Willie Mullins-trained Benie Des Dieux when defending the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil in May, it had been hoped that she would be able to race on.

But she went lame when walking and trotting while beginning the the road back to fitness and Nicolle, in conjunction with her owner-breeder, Jacques Detre, decided to pull the plug and send her to the paddocks.