Vincent bought by Alabar, Nevele R

THE career of Auckland Cup hero Vincent is officially over.

The exceptional 4yrold pacer will not race again and will stand at stud next season after being bought jointly by breeding giants Alabar and Nevele R.

The news will come as a shock to harness racing fans after trainer Mark Purdon had expressed hope Vincent might be able to recover from the leg injury sustained in January that has ultimately ended his career.

Vincent was in Australia for a group 1 campaign aimed at the Ballarat Cup, Chariots Of Fire and Miracle Mile when he was found to have a suspensory injury. While that instantly raised fears his career may be over, stemcell injections were thought to be giving him another shot at racing next season.

But that now will not be the case.

Alabar’s New Zealand boss, Graeme Henley, confirmed Vincent was on the operation’s South Auckland property and would stand at stud at its Victorian base in Australia next season.

‘‘While it is a real shame for his connections he was retired when he had the racing world at his feet, we are thrilled to have him,’’ Henley said.

‘‘Everybody knows what a great horse he was and we see him as a really good fit for the current market. Not only is he a son of Art Major, who has been such a champion stallion for us but of course he can cover Bettors Delight, Somebeachsomewhere, Mach Three and Christian Cullen mares.

‘‘These top New Zealand and Australian horses now are as good as anything you can buy in North America, so we are pretty excited.’’

Vincent’s racing highlights included wins in the Auckland Cup, New Zealand Derby, and New South Wales Derby, and a 1.50.2 winning mile time.— NZME