Racing: Cockney Rebel's career ends with freak injury amid flutter of litter

Fairytales tend to have a limited lifespan in racing, and yesterday the one starring Cockney Rebel came to an abrupt end on the Newmarket gallops. A 30,000-guinea yearling, in the spring he won two Classics for a trainer, Geoff Huffer, whose career had previously seemed doomed by a spell in prison. But then Cockney Rebel suffered an injury in defeat at Royal Ascot, and yesterday plans for his comeback were wrecked by another one.

Huffer had been preparing him for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot later this month, but an innocuous exercise yesterday marked the end of the road. "He was cantering and a piece of paper flew across at the end, and his hind leg hit his near-fore on the tendon," Huffer explained. "He pulled up sound and went back to the yard. There was a slight bump there, and I called in the vet to have a look. He scanned it and there is a slight injury there that would take three months or so to heal. I called Phil Cunningham [his owner] and we have decided to retire him."

Huffer said that five studs had already shown an interest in Cockney Rebel. "We hope he'll stand in England," he said. "Money won't decide where he goes: he'll go to the best place. He's the best horse I've ever had or ever will have – an absolutely sensational horse."

Cunningham added: "It reflects the highs and lows of racing. It's been quite an emotional day. The main thing is the injury is not life-threatening. We had just got him right. I saw him work on Saturday and he was fantastic, but to have something like this come along is shattering. I wouldn't swap what we have achieved for the world. He only had six races and we thought there was more to come."

Cockney Rebel, a son of Val Royal, blazed from last to first to win the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May and then showed tenacity to follow up in the Irish version. In his journey from pauper to prince, he won £448,721 in prize-money.