The owners of star mare Jameka have called time on her racing career after a barrier trial on Tuesday.
The 2016 Caulfield Cup winner finished fifth, beaten about three lengths, in the third trial at Cranbourne, but trainer Ciaron Maher said the mare hadn't quite regained her desire to compete.
Jameka (image Steve Hart) had not raced since a brilliant win in the 2017 Tancred Stakes after a severe bout of travel sickness threatened to claim her life.
"She came up really well but because she had such a long time off, she just wasn't showing the zest for racing that she used to," Maher told Racenet.
"She was a phenomenal horse to train. She went around in the autumn, spring, autumn, spring and never missed a dance.
"I'm rapt to have been able to have had her and she is in really good health and hopefully she will go on and produce another Jameka."
Jameka won six of her 24 starts and more than $4.8 million in a career that also included wins in the Group I VRC Oaks, Group II Moonee Valley Vase and the VRC Sires Produce in 2015.
Part-owner Col McKenna told the Warrnabool Standard that the breeding barn would be the next stop for the daughter of Myboycharlie.
McKenna paid $2.6 million to buy out Jameka's other owners at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale earlier this year.
"Jameka has lost her top gear. She's raced in some of the feature races on the Australian racing calendar and been very successful," McKenna said.
"Ciaron said she was the best-looking horse at the jump-outs but she had lost the zest to race at the top level. She's got nothing left to prove on the racetrack, so she'll head to the breeding barn."
The big question now is which lucky stallion will be chosen for the superstar mare.
