Michael Dods has confirmed his star sprinter Mecca's Angel has been retired following her run on Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday.
Winner of York's Nunthorpe Stakes for the last two years, the five-year-old mare was unable to end her racing career on a high.
Mecca's Angel ran below par in the Qipco British Champions Sprint won by The Tin Man. Dods felt she was probably feeling the effects of her gallant effort in the Prix de l'Abbaye just 13 days earlier when she was a close third to Marsha and that her high draw proved to be a big disadvantage.
"The race probably came too quick after the Abbaye. She's always better with a long gap in between," said Dods.
"It also seemed that anything that raced near the stands side was greatly inconvenienced compared to the far side. There was a massive draw bias.
"She's come home fine and she'll be retired now."
The Darlington handler paid tribute to the horse, owned by David Metcalfe, that helped put him on the racing map.
"You dream of having horses like her. She's won two Group Ones, other Group and Listed races," he said.
"She's campaigned in all the top sprints. She now deserves to go out to stud.
"She's been a delight. She's given us a lot of fun and taken us to all the big meetings."
The daughter of Dark Angel won 10 of her 20 starts, including six at Group and Listed level amassing nearly £680,000 in total prize money in the process.
