IT is the time of the year when we start to hear about horses retiring to stud for 2023, though this week it was due to injury on two occasions.

State Of Rest will be available to Irish breeders next spring at Rathbarry Stud, and at Newgate Stud in Australia, and what an addition he will be to the stallion ranks in both hemispheres.

News also emerged that last year’s US champion juvenile, Corniche, will take up duties at Ashford Stud, his premature retirement due to an injury sustained on his reappearance in July at Saratoga. He was unbeaten at two, the same year that he had topped the OBS April Sale at $1.5 million. He was trained at two by Bob Baffert for Speedway Stables.

Corniche made an impressive debut at Del Mar, romping to a near six-length win, and was immediately stepped up to Grade 1 company for the American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita where he posted another fine success. Drawn widest of all in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, Corniche recorded great fractions when winning with plenty in hand. His rider, Mike Smith, said: “He is really impressive, a pro. He’s dynamite.”

“It’s unfortunate that Corniche has been forced to retire at this point in his career, but he will be revered for his remarkable juvenile season,” Ashford Stud manager Dermot Ryan said this week. “He’s a most impressive looking individual and I can see him proving extremely popular with breeders.”

Corniche is arguably the best juvenile to date by leading sire Quality Road (Elusive Quality), and it was expected that he would, like many by that stallion, improve with age. The bay is one of 14 Grade 1 winners by the four-time Grade 1 winner Quality Road, and is out of the smart racemare Wasted Tears (Najran). Half of her 12 wins were gained in graded stakes, three at Grade 2 level. She came close to a Grade 1 win when second in the Matriarch Stakes.

Noted for getting good-looking stock who make an impact in the ring, Wasted Tears’ juvenile this year is the filly Llorona (Mendelssohn), a $750,000 yearling last September, while her winning daughter Look Me Over (Hard Spun) sold for $1.2 million last November to Mt Brilliant Farm.