Turbo Linn sent off to stud

TURBO Linn, winner of her first eight races, is to be retired to the paddocks after finishing fifth at Haydock on Saturday.

The five-year-old mare will join her dam Linns Heir at her owner-breeder James Nelson's stud in Lockerbie.

"We're going to retire her. She's done her job, she's nothing else to prove," said trainer Alan Swinbank. "She ran a little bit flat at Haydock, although an extra special horse (Anna Pavlova] won the race. There are a lot of younger horses coming through and she's getting older.

"She'll be going back to Lockerbie to James Nelson's stud and I've told him the first thing he has to do on Monday morning is to ring Coolmore to sort out which stallion she is going to."

The North Yorkshire-based handler believes the time is right to call it a day with Turbo Linn, whose rise from bumper winner to Group Two heroine is a true rags to riches story.

"She's had 12 runs and been in the money nearly every time," Swinbank added of last year's Lancashire Oaks winner. "We'll have to find something to replace her if we possibly can.

"I have her full sister, a two-year-old called Lady Counsellor, which we are breaking in at the moment and won't run until next year."