Breeders' Cup suffers huge blow as champion shockingly ruled out and retired

The Breeders’ Cup has lost one of its biggest draws after one of last year’s champions picked up an injury.

Idiomatic, owned and bred by Juddmonte, and trained by Brad Cox, had won 12 of her 17 starts and more than £3 million in prize-money.

Last year the five-year-old tasted defeat just once in ten starts when her campaign peaked with a half length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita.

She had won three of her five starts this year and earned a return to the championships, on November 2, at Del Mar, with an outstanding victory in the Spinster Stakes at Keeneland, which she captured by six and a half lengths. She won the same race in 2023.

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Cox had been looking forward to the Breeders’ Cup in which she was set to meet the year’s outstanding three-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna. He said at Keeneland, “Her figures say she’s just as good this year as she was last year. She’s training every bit as good this year as last year.

“This year she’s had a little bit of a target on her back. She’s been pressed in some races, where maybe last year she kind of had things her own way. She’s two heads from being undefeated. I’m proud of her. Every time we’ve led her over there, she’s never let us down, and she added to her resume today.”

The Distaff was expected to be one of the highlights of the meeting but the head to head between its two female leads will not take place.

Juddmonte issued a statement which said: “Idiomatic was found to be lame this morning and an issue, that should heal readily, was identified in her left knee. Unfortunately, it will rule her out of running in the Breeders’ Cup and it has been decided to retire her to stud.

"Idiomatic was a model of consistency who elevated herself to Grade One level and stayed there for two exciting campaigns.

“Her power, ability and honesty were exciting characteristics. This is the first time she has been sidelined which is a tribute to her soundness.”