Economics, one of the 2024 season's standout stars with an impressive victory in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1), has been retired from racing. Owner Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa has not yet decided where the son of Night of Thunder will stand.
Trained by William Haggas, Economics became one of the best 3-year-olds of his generation when dominating the Dante Stakes (G2) at York with an impressive six-length win, defeating the previous year's Futurity Trophy (G1) scorer Ancient Wisdom in the process.
He followed up in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano (G2) in Deauville by two lengths from a high-class field that included Jayarebe, Almaqam, and Arrow Eagle before producing his best performance when striking at Leopardstown, where he defeated dual Derby hero and Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) victor Auguste Rodin, as well as Irish Derby (G1) winner Los Angeles and the multiple group 1-winning Luxembourg.
Following that group 1 success, Economics ran just twice more, in the 2024 Champion Stakes (G1) at Ascot when sixth to Anmaat, and on Saturday when eighth to Calandagan in this year's Champion Stakes.
"He had everything you look for in a top-class racehorse—athleticism, temperament, and an extraordinary will to win," said Haggas. "His performance at Leopardstown was one of the most thrilling I've witnessed, it's hard to believe we could have had a horse of this caliber so close to Baaeed. He retires with our deepest admiration and is certainly one of the best colts we've had."
Jake Warren, bloodstock and racing advisor to Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, added: "Economics showed us on numerous occasions how brilliant he was, in particular when defeating a seasoned field of group 1 winners, including Auguste Rodin, in the Irish Champion Stakes last year where he rightfully secured his place as one of the highest rated mile-and-a-quarter colts in the world.
"His page is very strong, he's by Night of Thunder who's breaking records on the track and in the sales ring and out of an exceptionally tough group 2-winning race mare. He's an incredibly good-looking horse with a tremendous step so I'm sure breeders will be very interested in him as I have no doubt he'll produce very attractive, easy moving, commercial offspring.
"We haven't decided on where he'll stand just yet, we've been taking calls, but options are still open at this stage."
Tom Marquand, who partnered Economics in six of his seven starts, said: "He was simply brilliant, when you pressed the button he just went through the gears effortlessly. His Irish Champion win showed what he was capable of against some of the very best mile-and-a-quarter colts in the world."
