Melbourne Cup Champion Vow And Declare retired

Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare has run his last race.

The gelding’s trainer Danny O’Brien announced on Monday, in partnership with the ownership group headed up by Geoff Corrigan, that he had been retired ‘100 percent sound’ .

The nine-year-old finished a distant last in Saturday’s Pakenham Cup, virtually pulled up by jockey Craig Williams, the man who partnered him to victory in the 2019 Melbourne Cup, and O’Brien considers him a special horse.

“Winning the Melbourne Cup is what we all aspire to and it is a moment that I will cherish forever,” O’Brien said.

“Every year there are less and less in the Cup that have been bred here, which is why Cups like his, and this year’s as well, underline what is so great about the race and our industry.

“I am proud of the horse and the job my team has done with ‘Vow’.

“To have him performing at the highest level as three-year-old all the way through to winning in track record time this past winter in Queensland is a testament to their dedication and commitment.”

Vow And Declare became the first Australian-bred winner of the Melbourne Cup in a decade when he lasted in a thrilling finish in the Flemington feature.

It was one of six wins from 50 starts for the son of Declaration Of War and Geblitzt, who also won a 2400m Zipping Classic at Group 2 level and the Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup in Queensland five years apart – 2019 and 2024.

Vow And Declare, who was bred by Paul Lanskey, who retained him to race after he was passed-in at the 2017 Inglis Classic sale after failed to reach his $60,000 reserve, also placed 12 times and finished his career with earnings of $7,701,170.

Racing fans will get the opportunity to farewell Vow And Declare at Geelong Racecourse, one of his home tracks, during the club’s standalone Saturday meeting on January 4.