Darley Australian Managing Director Henry Plumptre has confirmed that 2014 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Earthquake has been retired from racing and will start a new career as a broodmare.
Earthquake recorded the biggest race win of her career in the 2015 Blue Diamond Stakes. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Earthquake made her racing debut in the Colin Pearce 100th Birthday Plate (1000m) at Royal Randwick on November 9 in 2013 and she immediately stamped herself as a two-year-old to watch with a comfortable victory.
Trainer Peter Snowden sent Earthquake straight to the spelling paddock to get her ready for a Blue Diamond Stakes tilt and she moved to second in betting for the Group 1 event when she took out the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on February 8.
Earthquake started the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) as favourite and she was able to stamp her authority on the rest of the field with a most impressive performance and she maintained her place on top of Golden Slipper betting with another comfortable win in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22.
The Exceed And Excel filly was found with a fever in the lead-up to the Golden Slipper before she was eventually cleared to contest the race, but she was unable to complete the Blue Diamond/Golden Slipper double after she was caught by Mossfun in the final stages of the race.
A great deal was expected of Earthquake heading into the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival, but she did not appear to handle the heavy track when she finished third behind Winx in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick and she was beaten again in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m).
Earthquake returned to winning form in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, but she was caught on the wrong side of the track in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day and could finish no better than eighth.
Godolphin elected to set Earthquake for a first-up crack at the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 28, but she hit the front too far from home and tired late to finish tenth.
She returned to a semblance of her best form in the Listed MSS Security Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on March 14 and she was far from disgraced when fifth in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 27.
Earthquake was given a barrier trial at Royal Randwick on April 13, but she produced a lackluster performance in the trial and Godolphin elected to end her racing career.
Earthquake finished her career with five wins from 12 starts and accumulated over $1.7 million in prizemoney.
