Peters lavishes praise on retired Regal Power

Following his 10th placing in the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) at Flemington on January 1, Regal Power has been retired.

Regal Power ends his career as an eight-year-old and off the back of 41 starts since his debut at Belmont Park in 2018.

The son of Pierro won 10 races, placed eight times and reached $4.7 million in prizemoney.

Regal Power won his first race at his second start and claimed maiden feature success in the Listed Lex Piper Stakes over 1600m.

Further three-year-old triumphs and a portent of things to come came when he won the WA Derby-Melvista Stakes double.

Regal Power reached elite status by winning the Group 1 Railway Stakes and Group 1 Northerly Stakes at Ascot in 2019 and 2021.

His biggest win in terms of prize money was interstate in Melbourne when he won the $5 million All Star Mile at Caulfield.

Peters, Perth’s leviathan owner-breeder, has a racing cv that only a few in the thoroughbred world can match.

His decorated career recognised with induction into the WA Racing Hall Of Fame in 2019 and the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame last year.

He’s won a litany of Australia’s biggest races with an array of stars, among them Delicacy, Natasha, Old Comrade, Dreamaway and Arcadia Queen.

In a glowing endorsement of Regal Power, Peters said the gelding sits comfortably among the best horses he’s been involved with.

“He kept putting his hand up and showed glimpses of his old form, but he was ready to retire,” Peters said on Tabradio.

“I would have liked to have sent him out as a winner of a big race.

“He’d be up there with the best I’ve had, he had to be if you looked at stake money that he had won.

“He’s the highest stakes earner that we’ve ever had, he has to be up there.

“He’s been one of the unassuming ones that has come along.

“The time he ran in the WA Derby was unbelievable.

“That sort of told me that he was up to the big time.

“He proved that when he came back after that.”

Meanwhile Peters confirmed he had used his Quokka slot, Peters Investments, to negotiate a deal with owners of Ripcord to start the exciting three-year-old in Perth’s richest race in April.

The exciting gelding is trained by Luke Fernie and last year won the Listed Placid Ark Stakes and finished a creditable third in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot.

“I think he is around the place with the best three-year-olds we have here (Perth),” Peters said.

Ripcord joins Amelia’s Jewel, defending champion Overpass, King Of Sparta and Oscar’s Fortune who also have been confirmed for the Quokka showpiece on April 20.