SAXON Warrior, winner of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, has been retired to stud following a tendon injury sustained in the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt narrowly came off second best in a titanic battle with his old rival Roaring Lion at Leopardstown on Saturday.

He emerged as a top-class colt when winning the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster at the end of last season, before reappearing with his classic success in May.

Sent off odds-on favourite for the Derby, he could only finish fourth and was then beaten in the Irish equivalent. He ran much better when second in the Coral-Eclipse to Roaring Lion, but was then badly struck down by the virus which hit O’Brien’s yard in the summer.

Down the field in the Juddmonte International on his first run back, a race also won by Roaring Lion, he improved markedly on that effort at the weekend, but was yet again behind John Gosden’s colt.