Last season’s brilliant Arc winner, Sakhee, has been retired and will miss Saturday’s Champion Stakes. The five year old son of Bahri will stand for £20,000 pounds at Shadwell Stud.

The colt was originally trained by John Dunlop and as a three year old took out the Thresher Classic Trial, Dante Stakes before running second to Sinndar in the Epsom Derby. The third home that day was Beat Hollow, a subsequent four time Grade/Group 1 winner with Prix d’Isaphan hero Best of the Bests further back in fourth.

Sakhee was a disappointing fourth to Giant’s Causeway in the Eclipse Stakes and was purchased by Godolphin for his four year old campaign.

He started off with a fluent win in the Listed Steventon Stakes and followed it up by a dominant win in the Juddmonte International. This Group 1 ten furlong race is one of the highlights of the season and Sakhee thrashed his field which included Medicean, Black Minnaloushe and this season’s star, Grandera. He had Grandera gasping for breath seven lengths back in second.

Now favourite for the Arc, Sakhee took the Longchamp race by an easy six lengths. The previously unbeaten Aquarelliste was in his wake, with subsequent King George winner Golan well beaten in fourth.

Sakhee ran a game second to Tiznow in the Breeders Cup Classic and was retired for the season. Officially the highest rated horse in the world by Timeform in 2001, he was expected to be equally dominant this year.

Brilliant on his first start, Sakhee was well beaten as favourite in the World Cup when third to stablemate, Street Cry. He was not seen until being upset by Wellbeing in the Prix Gontant-Biron and didn’t run again.

Out of the Ribblesdale winner Thawakib, a daughter of perennial champion sire Sadler’s Wells, Sakhee comes from one of the best families in the stud book.

This is the family of champions Exceller, Capote and leading sire Broad Brush.