STAR sprinter Alboran Sea will be retired to stud. Mary Slack and Michael Javett’s three-year-old filly suffered a knee chip in Saturday’s Gr1 City Of Pitermaritzburg SA Fillies Sprint at Scottsville and the connections decided that it would be in her best interests to end her racing career without risking further injury after a lengthy recovery period.

Alboran Sea will be retired to Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift Farm and Mike de Kock commented: “This is an unexpected setback for all as far as her racing career is concerned, but on the bright side Alboran Sea will make a great broodmare, she will be a super addition to Mary’s broodmare paddock. She will be covered first by Soft Falling Rain.

“There is not much more one can ask of a three-year-old filly. She won the Gr1 Cape Flying Chamionship and the Computaform Sprint in one season, you’ll have to go a long way to beat that. The owners considered an overseas campaign for her at a later stage but given the current route through Mauritius they decided not to put her through it. It was a privilege to train Alboran Sea, she’s a filly of great calibre and she did us proud, provided lots of thrills.”

Australian-bred Alboran Sea raced 10 times for five wins and four places, amassing stake earnings of R2,062-million.  She’s a daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar from a mare by Toolighttoquit (USA).

Mike announced also that Saturday’s Gr1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship winner Entisaar will be taking a well-deserved break until next season. He said: “At this stage Entisaar will remain in South Africa. We’re giving her a rest and she will be back on track next season.

“Shaama will also be resting for a while. She didn’t pull up all that well. We’re going to give her some time to mature.”

Photo: Alboran Sea (black silks), beats Captain of All in the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship, January 2015.