Dual Group One winner Shuka has been retired.

Trainers Peter and Dawn Williams and Paul Richards opted to scratch the winner of the 2013 and 2014 Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham from Saturday's Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie rather than risk any serious injury.

"He's just had a couple of little issues and we've decided to retire him before anything more serious happened. We didn't want him just going around for the sake of it," Peter Williams said.

Missing the Zabeel Classic is the first time that Shuka has not been able to tackle an assignment the Williams have set him for in his entire 43-start career.

The Dick Karreman-bred and Eric Parr-raced Bachelor Duke seven-year-old won the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham at two before winning the Listed Ray Copland Stakes at three, an age he spent most of his summer chasing home Silent Achiever in Group features.

He won the Te Aroha Cup and Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup at four before claiming his first Group One win in the 2013 Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham, also providing jockey Danielle Johnson with the first Group One win of her career.

Shuka was beaten narrow margins in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa and in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic at Hastings before claiming his second Captain Cook Stakes last year.

He was unable to claim a hat-trick in the race at his final start but still ran home well for fifth when unsuited by the sit-and-sprint affair.

In all, he won eight races and more than $711,000 in stakes.

"He's been a great horse to us," Williams said.

"It's quite moving for us. He was one of five horses that Dawn and I brought up north with us when we made the move from Christchurch and he was the horse who really got us going and helped make our name up here.

"He'll be retired to the property of the owner. He'll have a great life there and Eric will really look after him."