Four of Palace Pier’s Best Runs as Retirement to Stud Beckons

Following his second-place finish in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at the prestigious British Champions Day at Ascot, where he was narrowly beaten by the neck of the William Haggas-trained Baaeed in the lucrative one-mile race, Palace Pier looks set to head to stud with his trainer John Gosden claiming that retirement is the likeliest outcome. 

“Frankie [Dettori] said the pace was slow – it was too slow,” the top British trainer said after the Champions Mile. “He regrets not committing earlier. There was too much looking around – and he knows that. The strongest likelihood is Palace Pier will now go to stud.”

It would be a great shame to see a horse of Palace Pier’s calibre, one who is always among the favourites on the best horse racing betting sites, retired to stud, especially at just four years old. But he has landed some massive victories over the last couple of years for Dettori and Gosden. So, as we await the official retirement announcement, let’s take a look at some of Palace Pier’s career highlights. Read on to find out more! 

2020: St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) – Royal Ascot

After three wins from his first three races, Palace Pier recorded his first Group 1 triumph at last year’s renewal of Royal Ascot, landing the St James’s Palace Stakes at the Berkshire-based racecourse. Pinatubo, the 11/8 favourite, led and was going best over one furlong out, but Dettori soon started to challenge on Palace Pier and he took the lead in the final 110 yards to win by a length clear of William Buick and the Charlie Appleby-trained horse. 

2020: Prix Jacques Le Marois (Group 1) – Deauville

Following that emphatic victory at Royal Ascot, Gosden sent Palace Pier to France for the Prix Jacque le Marois at Deauville and he delivered back-to-back Group 1 victories for the trainer. This time set off as the favourite at 13/10, Palace Pier started to make headway three furlongs out and he ran on to lead in the final furlong, holding on well to fend off the challenge of Alpine Star, who could only get within three quarters of a length of the then three-year-old.

2021: Lockinge Stakes (Group 1) – Newbury

After disappointingly missing out on the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at last year’s British Champions Day, with the soft ground at Ascot resulting in a third-place finish for Palace Pier, the Gosden-trained horse bounced back quickly this season. He started the campaign with a Group 2 win in the Sandown Mile before winning a third Group 1 in the form of the Lockinge Stakes in May. The odds-on favourite for the Newbury race, Palace Pier led from two furlongs out and ran on well to beat Lady Bowthorpe by a length and a half. 

2021: Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) – Royal Ascot

Back at Royal Ascot, Palace Pier gave up the defence of his St James’s Palace crown in a bid to land the Queen Anne Stakes, the more lucrative of the one-mile races, and it paid off for Dettori and Gosden. The heavy favourite at 2/7, Palace Pier was ridden into the lead one furlong out and he kept on well to beat Aidan O’Brien’s Lope Y Fernandez by a length and a half.

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Palace Pier defended his Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville in August before coming out short again in the Queen Elizabet II.