Group 1 winner Awesome Rock (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}–Awesome Planet {Aus}, by Giant's Causeway) has been retired from racing and will be prepared for a career as a stallion. The 5-year-old has performed below expectations on his three runs this year and trainers Leon and Troy Corstens believe a vaccination administered a month ago for a potential trip to the Dubai Carnival had an adverse effect on the horse's well-being. ''He hasn't quite been the same horse since he was vaccinated,” Leon Corstens told Racing And Sports. ''It seemed to flatten him and I just think it's all caught up with him.” This time last year Awesome Rock opened his account at the top level when winning the G1 Australian Cup only for him to lose the race in the steward's room following interference with Preferment (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) who was subsequently awarded the race. Awesome Rock gained compensation for that episode when he landed the G1 Emirates S. at Flemington in November but has been well below that level in his three runs since, most recently finishing ninth to Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the G1 Australian Cup last Saturday. His four wins also included a victory in the G2 Dato Tan Chin Nam S. at Moonee Valley last year and he retires with a lifetime record of 28-4-3-4 for earnings of A$2,038,720.
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