Top-class colt Westover has been retired after suffering a career-ending injury when finishing second in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday.

A luckless third behind Desert Crown in last year’s Derby at Epsom, Ralph Beckett’s charge went on to gain compensation with a brilliant victory in the Irish Derby and has continued to run with distinction at the highest level as a four-year-old.

He chased home Japanese superstar Equinox in the Dubai Sheema Classic in March, filled the runner-up spot in the Coronation Cup in June and claimed his second Group One win in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud before being narrowly beaten by Hukum in a thrilling renewal of the King George at Ascot in July.

Having found only the brilliant Ace Impact too strong in Paris last weekend, owner-breeders Juddmonte had been targeting major prizes on foreign soil before the end of 2023 – but they have now had to prematurely call time on the son of Frankel’s racing career.

“It’s devastating news, unfortunately he suffered a career-ending injury on Sunday and he’ll have to be retired,” said Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon.

“Long-term he’ll be fine and he’ll be OK for a stallion career, but we had such good days with him this year and last year, we had an exciting end to the season planned and we were all very excited about it. Unfortunately it’s come to an end.

“We were looking at the Breeders’ Cup and we actually only entered him in the Japan Cup on Tuesday. We were planning on doing a bit of travelling and seeing a bit of the world with him, but unfortunately that’s not to be.”

Mahon is confident Westover will go on to enjoy a successful second career at stud, adding: “I’d say he’ll be a top-class stallion. He’s one of Frankel’s best sons and as we saw with Ace Impact (by Frankel’s son Cracksman), Frankel’s sons are off to a flying start.

“He’s been beautifully trained by Ralph, Rob Hornby has obviously built up a good association with him last year and this year and Colin Keane was exquisite on him the day he won the Irish Derby.

“It’s been a great story for a lot of people, none more so than Juddmonte. We’re very lucky to have had him.”

Beckett said in a statement: “I am very proud of the horse and what he has achieved, he gave his all every day at home and on the racecourse and we will all miss him.”

Ralph Beckett is eyeing a run at the Breeders’ Cup following Westover’s brave second in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.

The son of Frankel, who was an Irish Derby winner at three, had to settle for sixth in his first crack at Europe’s richest middle distance prize.

But returning to the French capital on the back of a fine four-year-old campaign, the colt thrived in the unusually quick ground to find only the imperious Ace Impact too good in the closing stages.

Westover finished a length and three-quarters behind Jean-Claude Rouget’s impressive victor, but Beckett could not hide his pride in his charge who has now earnt a trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup Turf next month.

“What a run, I’m delighted, what a run,” said Beckett.

“Hukum came across and sort of helped the pace along it looked like to me. He seemed a bit lazy out of the gate and then has got his place.

“At the top of the straight I thought we were in business, but there was just one better.

“He’s gone and done it again, which is terrific for everyone. I’m so proud of him.”

He went on: “I always fancied the Breeders’ Cup Turf for him because he’s a horse who enjoys his time away, as we saw in Dubai.

“So I’ve always kind of fancied that for him. The Breeders’ Cup Turf is shaping up to be the best ever isn’t it, but that’s life and I think we will probably go.”

Westover was once again picking up a silver medal having also filled the runner-up spot behind Hukum in a thrilling renewal of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes earlier in the season.

However, Owen Burrows’ five-year-old could not repeat his Ascot heroics from a tricky position in stall 14, with the quick ground blunting his challenge.

“The ground was a lot quicker than ideal. We didn’t expect it to be so quick, it was on the fast side of good,” said jockey Jim Crowley.

“From stall 14 I had to use up a little bit (of energy) but I actually got a good position and was happy. I got a breather into him down the hill but he just couldn’t pick up on the quick ground.

“He owes us nothing, he has come back from injury and won a King George, he is a very special horse.”

Fabrice Chappet’s Onesto claimed third, while Japan’s wait for a first Arc winner goes on after Tomohito Ozeki’s Through Seven Seas kept on for fourth, but ultimately could not land a telling blow at the business end.

“There was no pace on and so our jockey held her up,” said Ozeki.

“It was a sprint in the straight but I am pleased at the way she finished. We don’t know whether she will run again. It depends how she is because the Arc is such a great challenge for a horse.”

A place further back in fifth was Aidan O’Brien’s Continuous, who having been supplemented into the contest at a cost of 120,000 euros, was unable to add this middle-distance showpiece to the St Leger success he claimed at Doncaster.

The Ballydoyle team are now eyeing some overseas adventures with the son of Heart’s Cry later in the year.

O’Brien said: “We’re very happy. We made the decision to take our time and let him relax.

“They sprinted the last two furlongs, but he wasn’t finished and ran all the way to the line.

“He looks like he wants a strongly run mile-and-a-half so obviously we can look at Japan, Hong King, America and Dubai.

“He’s a very legitimate horse and a ready-made four-year-old. He loves travelling, and the best is yet to come.”

Meanwhile Bay Bridge could be set for a defence of his Champion Stakes crown having faded into sixth after racing keenly in the early stages.

He was just a little free and needs more moisture in the ground” said trainer Sir Michael Stoute.

“If he comes out of it well he could go for another shot at the Champion Stakes.”

Westover enjoyed a trip to the beach on Friday as his bid for glory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe looms ever closer.

Last season’s Irish Derby hero was not beaten far into sixth place in Europe’s premier middle-distance contest last season and will return to Paris next weekend following an excellent campaign so far.

Second to Japanese ace Equinox in Dubai earlier in the year, Ralph Beckett’s four-year-old has since finished chased home Emily Upjohn in the Coronation Cup and won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud before going down by a head to Hukum in a pulsating renewal of the King George at Ascot.

The son of Frankel has been kept fresh since that late July outing and is reported to be in rude health following a racecourse gallop at his trainer’s local track and a spin on the sand.

“Westover went to Salisbury last Friday and to Hayling Island beach this Friday and both exercises went well,” said Beckett.

“It suited him to just take the edge off him ahead of Longchamp and he’s shown he can handle any ground between the extremes.”

Also set to be in Group One action next weekend for Beckett and Westover’s owners Juddmonte is the regally-bred juvenile Task Force.

By Frankel and out of another Guineas winner in Special Duty, the youngster has looked the part so far in winning a Salisbury maiden and a Listed race at Ripon, earning him a shot at the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

Beckett added: “Task Force will go for the Middle Park. I was really pleased with him (on Saturday) morning.”

Connections of Westover were left “devasted but delighted” following his narrow defeat in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot.

Last year’s Irish Derby hero disappointed as a hot favourite for Ascot’s midsummer showpiece 12 months ago, but was this time carried out on his shield.

Turning out just three weeks after doubling his Group One tally in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, the Ralph Beckett-trained four-year-old was a 7-1 shot in the hands of Rob Hornby and moved to the lead early in the home straight.

Westover and Hukum engaged in a titanic duel with two furlongs to run and while the latter secured top honours by a head, the runner-up lost little in defeat.

“What a horse, what a horse race. We’re devasted but delighted,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for Westover’s owner-breeders Juddmonte.

“He’s run a career-best in what was being touted beforehand as the middle-distance race of the year and he went down gallantly. I felt he was even battling back again at the finish.

“He put it all on the line and he’s doing what we thought he’d do this year. Last year he was big and immature and he’s mentally and physically grown up.

“To break the track record the last day in Saint-Cloud was a big performance and to back it up with a run like that three weeks later is unbelievable.

“We haven’t really thought about what’s next. We’ll see how he comes out of it and make a plan in a couple of weeks’ time.”

Hornby similarly had mixed emotions, saying: “This race deserves a spectacle like that and to have an ovation for this horse, coming second like we did, was special.

“It is tough to take, but I’m really proud of him. It is always tough when you are just denied like that and it was such a heroic battle.

“He stays very well. He rolled around twice and I pulled my stick through and corrected him. When he got into a head to head, he was tough all the way to the line and he was just edged out unfortunately.”

King Of Steel, runner-up in the Derby at Epsom before landing the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, emerged best of the rest in third for Roger Varian.

“I think he ran a great race, he lost nothing in defeat and came there with a great chance. He has been beaten by two mature, good, older horses,” said the Newmarket handler.

“I’m not sure he got home as well as the first two. We have always got the option of coming back to 10 furlongs, but he had some great horses in behind him, two very good ones in front of him, and it’s only his fifth run, so he can only improve can’t he?

“He has the scope and is a big horse. I’m sure he needs a little time between races. He’s had a tough race today, but he’s like a teenager, still.

“He is a good horse. We’d be happier if he’d won, but we think he ran a great race.

“We got beat, but it was a super race – a championship race. He turned up and really ran his race.”

The disappointment of the contest was Aidan O’Brien’s Auguste Rodin, who narrowly denied King Of Steel Derby glory at Epsom last month before following up in the Irish Derby.

He was the 9-4 favourite to follow in the hoofprints of Ballydoyle great Galileo by adding the King George to his two Derby wins, but was under pressure a long way from home and was eased right down in the end by Ryan Moore to finish last of 10.

O’Brien said: “There are no excuses. Whatever happened, the power ran out and it ran out early.

“That is the unusual thing. The race wasn’t even started.

“He was calm in the paddock, we were very happy with him. There is obviously a reason and we’ll find it. It is frustrating, but that’s the way.”

Hukum edged out Westover in a pulsating renewal of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes.

A field of 10 runners went to post for the Ascot’s midsummer highlight and the mile-and-a-half contest was rightly billed as the race of the season so far.

Last year’s Coronation Cup hero Hukum was a 13-2 shot after returning from injury to see off the 2022 Derby hero Desert Crown in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown in May.

Always travelling well in the middle of the pack under Jim Crowley, the six-year-old moved up to challenge Westover for the lead passing the two-furlong marker and the pair settled down to fight it out from there.

No quarter was given by either horse or jockey, but it was the Owen Burrows-trained Hukum who just found most for pressure to win a race for the ages by a head.

King Of Steel was best of the rest in third ahead of Luxembourg in fourth and the defending champion Pyledriver in fifth.

The disappointment of the race was dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin. The 9-4 favourite was trapped wide throughout, came under pressure racing down the back straight and weakened quickly before being eased right down by Ryan Moore, eventually passing the post in last place.

An emotional Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell, told Sky Sports Racing: “Amazing, a huge, fantastic result.

“What a horse he is to come back from a serious injury, they did brilliantly at the stud to get him back, and Owen has been very patient with him.

“It means a great deal to Sheikha Hissa, with the horse bred by her father (Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum).”

Westover will be given the chance to erase his Epsom demons when he returns to the Surrey Downs for the Coronation Cup.

Ralph Beckett’s charge was somewhat an unlucky loser in the Derby 12 months ago when seeing his passage up the home straight blocked as Sir Michael Stoute’s Desert Crown was charging towards the winning post.

Westover had to settle for third on that occasion, but did get a Classic in the bag when romping to victory in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh on his next start.

Although disappointing in the King George, the Juddmonte-owned Frankel colt ran an encouraging race on unsuitable ground in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and then made a fine reappearance when bumping into the imperious Equinox in the Dubai Sheema Classic.

That Meydan second was the near-perfect way to kick off Westover’s four-year-old campaign and his trainer is now looking forward to “physically a more mature horse” returning to Epsom on June 2.

“We are not really going back because we feel we have unfinished business, it is more so that Epsom clearly suited him last year,” said Beckett.

“He handled the track really well for a big horse. It is more the fact I’m looking forward to taking him back there as much as anything else.

“As long as we are in the right place with him then I will be happy. I think inevitably he is physically a more mature horse this year and you can see that in him.

“I think in the long term going to Dubai will make a difference. We will look back at it in helping make him the horse that he is.

“His work has always been good but it has never been stunning. I would be fairly relaxed about what happens at home now.

“It is important that he reaches his ceiling on the track. Whether he has I’m not entirely sure.

“You would hope that he would be a better horse this year because of his size but he has already run to a pretty high level. In that sense it is about maintaining that progression.”

Following the Coronation Cup, the Kimpton Downs handler is eyeing further middle-distance riches and is even toying with the idea of a drop back to 10 furlongs for Sandown’s Coral-Eclipse – where Westover could lock horns once again with his Derby conqueror Desert Crown.

“What I would really like to do, if he were to win the Coronation Cup, would be to drop him back to 10 furlongs for the Eclipse,” continued Beckett.

“He likes Sandown. He won his maiden around there as a two year old and the Classic Trial last year.

“I think the track really suits him. I’d be keen to go back to a mile and a quarter there as it would really play to his strengths.

“It would probably be the only time we go a mile and a quarter this year, but that would depend on whether he won or not at Epsom as he would need to win realistically to go to the Eclipse.”