Rebel’s Romance retires after 32-race career “We always knew this day would come”, Says Charlie Appleby

Rebel’s Romance, the most successful horse in Godolphin’s history, has been retired from racing.

Across a remarkable seven-season career, the son of Dubawi won 22 of his 32 starts for Godolphin, with nine of those victories coming at Group 1 level.

His top-level successes included the Dubai Sheema Classic (watch below) in 2024, the Champions & Chater Cup and two editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

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Rebel’s Made His Name Winning The 2021 UAE Derby

Named North America’s Champion Male Turf Horse at the 2024 Eclipse Awards, Rebel’s Romance also captured Group 1 honours in Germany and the United States, alongside major Group race victories in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

After comfortably defeating future Champion Stakes winners Anmaat and Bay Bridge on his final juvenile start, Rebel’s Romance looked destined for a glittering career on dirt following a commanding success in the UAE Derby as a three-year-old.

However, injury ruled him out of the 2021 Belmont Stakes, won by Essential Quality, and he instead forged an extraordinary career on turf.

He won his first five starts on the surface, a sequence capped by a course-record performance in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf.

An interrupted 2023 did little to halt his momentum.

Returning as a six-year-old in 2024, Rebel’s Romance was arguably better than ever, winning five of his six starts.

Including Qatar’s H H The Amir Trophy, the Dubai Sheema Classic, the Champions & Chater Cup in Hong Kong and Germany’s Preis von Europa (watch below).

 

He rounded off that campaign back in the United States at Del Mar.

Where he made history by becoming the first horse to win non-consecutive runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Turf, while also becoming the oldest winner of the race.

Rebel’s Romance Defied His Age

His seven-year-old campaign proved almost as productive, yielding another five victories.

Those included Group 1 wins in the Grosser Preis von Berlin and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, as well as stirring successes in the Yorkshire Cup and the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Sent back to Del Mar for another shot at the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Rebel’s Romance produced another brave display as he attempted to join Goldikova as a three-time winner at the meeting.

He ultimately finished second, beaten a length and a quarter by Ethical Diamond.

Rebel’s Romance signed off in style by winning both of his starts as an eight-year-old.

Greeted with rapturous applause after landing the Dubai City Of Gold Sponsored By emirates.com on Super Saturday at Meydan, he then showed all of his trademark enthusiasm to capture the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket’s July Festival.

Which was Rebel’s Romance’s last race.

Rebel’s Romance won at 14 different tracks in six different countries.

 

He retires with a record of 22 wins from 32 starts for Charlie Appleby and career earnings of more than £12.2 million.

Alongside his Eclipse Award, he leaves the sport as the highest-earning Breeders’ Cup starter of all time and remains the only horse to have won more than US$5 million in prize money at the meeting.

Plans for the next chapter of his career through the Godolphin Lifetime Care programme will be announced in due course.

Rebel’s Romance Career Numbers

• Age: 8 (when retired, 2026)
• Runs: 32
• Wins: 22
• Group One Wins: 9
• Career Winnings: £12,212,756

Charlie Appleby and William Buick Comment On Rebel’s Romance Retiring 

Charlie Appleby said:

“We always knew this day would come, but it’s nevertheless a very sad day for everyone at Moulton Paddocks and Godolphin as a whole. Rebel’s Romance has been an outstanding horse for so many years and has taken us on a journey we will never forget.

“After yet another brilliant win at Newmarket last week, we all sat down together and agreed that now was the right time to call it a day.

“It has been an absolute honour to train such an amazing horse. He has been a dream to look after from the moment he arrived. My thanks go to the whole team at Moulton Paddocks, who have done such a brilliant job caring for him throughout his career.

“We have shared so many special days together and, wherever I travel in the world, he is the horse people always ask me about. He built up an incredible following and I was always touched by the reception he received wherever he raced. You dream of training a horse like Rebel’s Romance and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of his story.”

William Buick said:

“Rebel’s Romance has taken me on some incredible adventures and I feel immensely privileged to have ridden a horse of his calibre. Time and again he proved what an outstanding racehorse he was, and I will always cherish the memories we created together.

“He was a wonderful horse to ride, with tremendous presence, an unwavering will to win and a huge amount of character. He was an immense credit to everyone at Godolphin connected with him. His record around the world was phenomenal and I owe him a great deal.”