Peter Makin today admitted defeat in his battle to get Imperial Beauty ready for one last run and announced the retirement of his stable star.
He has given up hopes of a tilt at Sunday fortnight`s Prix de Petit Couvert at Longchamp with the high-class sprinter, who has been restricted to just two appearances in a most anti-climactic 2000 season.
It means his four-year-old ends her career without a Pattern race win, despite three second places - including when beaten a short-neck by Agnes World in the Group One Prix de l`Abbaye at Longchamp last year.
'Imperial Beauty has been retired,' the trainer said. 'We had hoped to get her ready for the French race but she won`t make it.'
His filly, who won Listed races at York and Newbury last season, has not run since she finished fourth in the King`s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
An injury suffered on the eve of her intended run in the King George Stakes at Goodwood in August has kept her on the sidelines since.
'It has been a disaster of a year for her,' Makin added.
'She had a low-grade virus, then a haematoma which was quite major.
'It has been one of those years when everything went wrong for her, it is very sad.
'But she has been a grand filly.'
Imperial Beauty raced in the colours of Dr Carlos Stelling, who died in the USA last month.
