Katie Lee has been retired after a first-up failure in the G3 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.  Cambridge Stud owner Sir Patrick Hogan revealed the Group 1 winning mare had pulled up sound but her heart was no longer in racing.

”We won’t press on,” Hogan said.  “She didn’t like the heavy track and got a bit bogged down.  That was indicative when her heart rate recovery wasn’t as quick as it should have been.”

Katie Lee (4m Pins – Miss Jessie Jay by Spectacularphantom) was bred by Hallmark Stud and is from the family of Gee I Jane (BTC Cup & Telegraph Hcp) and San Bernadino (G3 Stewards Hcp).

Hogan purchased her out of the Karaka Premier Sale for $340,000 in 2008.

Prepared by Graeme Rogerson, Katie Lee won twice at two, including the G3 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie, before producing a memorable string of wins as a spring three-year-old.

She was successful in the Listed Sarten Memorial (1200m) at Te Rapa and then became the first filly to complete the GI 2000 Guineas – 1000 Guineas double at Riccarton.

She went on to win the G2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie and the G2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa to seal Filly of the Year honours.

Katie Lee was plagued by wet tracks last season but still manage to win the G3 Traderacks Stakes at Hastings with a whirlwind finish from last for rider James McDonald.

Sir Patrick said he had yet to decide on a mating for Katie Lee but he was considering sending her to an Australian stallion.  ”We will put her under lights to get her in season a bit quicker.  ‘The first choice if she stays in New Zealand is Zabeel.

”There’s every possibility she will go to Australia, not because we don’t have the stallions here, but I have the opportunity while she’s an empty mare . I hope to have a foal at foot next year and then it’s not so easy to be sending them across.”