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SARGA.CO - Al Riffa's international racing career has come to an unexpected end, with the three-time G1 winner retired after a worsening suspensory injury ruled out a return to the track.
“Unfortunately, it's not good news,” Australian Bloodstock's Jamie Lovett told owners, as quoted by RaceHub. “From a rehab perspective, given his age and he's quite a big masculine heavy horse, the prognosis is poor, to rehab him from a racing perspective.”
Before veterinary scans revealed it this week, the six-year-old son of Wootton Bassett had been preparing for another Australian campaign, and another go at the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup after making his first appearance at Flemington last year.
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Foaled in 2020 and trained throughout his career by Joseph O'Brien, Al Riffa established himself as a top-level Irish performer as a two-year-old. He won his first G1 in the 2022 National Stakes at the Curragh, before winning the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten in Germany two years later.
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His finest achievement arguably came in 2025, when he returned to the Curragh and dominated in the Irish St Leger, powering away to win by over four lengths.
Afterwards, Australian Bloodstock acquired Al Riffa for a reported seven-figure sum, then sent him on an ambitious global campaign that took him from Europe to Australia and Asia.
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Following the Irish St Leger victory, which gave Al Riffa considerable betting support, the Melbourne Cup became the next major target. Although he finished seventh there, he immediately rebounded by racing and finishing fourth in the G1 Hong Kong Vase.
The campaign was demanding, yet Al Riffa continued to compete at the highest level in 2026. His four starts this season were in G1 or G2 races, including a bronze medal in the Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh and fourth place in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
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Overall, spanning nine countries, 5 wins and career earnings exceeding $1.8 million, few horses have packed as much international experience into 21 starts as Al Riffa, according to Thoroughbred Daily News.
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While the injury ended Al Riffa's racing career, it is not expected to prevent him from becoming a stallion, let alone succeeding in his next career. “He's an outstandingly performed horse, he's got a big pedigree, and he's a striking-looking stallion, so he ticks every box in that regard,” Lovett said, as quoted by RaceHub.
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Regarding said pedigree, Al Riffa is by Wootton Bassett, one of Europe's leading modern stallions, while his dam, Love On My Mind, is by the legendary Galileo. His own three G1 victories demonstrate the family’s quality, while his ability to perform over different distances adds another appealing dimension.
Where exactly he will stand at stud will be determined in due time, but his next chapter is now set to begin away from the racecourse.
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