THE 18-year-old former point-to-pointer I used to ride up and down the roads of Fermanagh had “a bit of ringbone” as it was described to me. To be fair, we didn’t do much hard work and he lived to a ripe age without much bother. The recent retirement of Kyprios, one of the most accomplished stayers in modern racing is a different matter, however.

The news of his retirement has brought renewed attention to the condition known as ringbone - a degenerative joint disease that can end the careers of even the most elite racehorses. Trained by Aidan O’Brien and owned by Coolmore, Kyprios amassed 17 wins from 21 starts and over £2.6 million in prize money, making his sudden retirement this month all the more poignant. It was reported that the retirement decision followed the aggravation of an old ringbone lesion. Despite being sound and in good condition, connections opted not to take further risks, prioritising the horse’s well-being over potential accolades.