The 2020 Melbourne Cup hero Twilight Payment has been retired and will live out his days at Living Legends.
The 9yo son of Teofilo (IRE) finished eleventh as the topweight in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.
The Joseph O'Brien-trained gelding had arrived in Australia in good form, having finished second in the Irish St Leger on September 12, after winning at the St Leger Trial at The Curragh four weeks earlier.
Twilight Payment and Jye McNeil capture the 2020 Melbourne Cup (image Racing Photos)
Like his sire Teofilo (IRE), Twilight Payment was bred by Jim Bolger and was trained by him when initially carrying the colours of Godolphin. He continued to race for Bolger after being sold for €200,000 at the 2018 Goffs Horses In Training sale.
After racing in the colours of the trainer's wife Jackie Bolger, Twilight Payment was acquired by Lloyd Williams and transferred to the stable of Joseph Patrick O'Brien.
O'Brien trained Rekindling (GB), another son of Teofilo (IRE) for Williams. Rekindling (GB) won the 2017 Melbourne Cup.
Twilight Payment retires with a record of nine wins, eleven seconds and nine thirds with earnings the equivalent of $5,842,805.
Nick Williams announced the retirement on Twitter.
"On behalf of the owners, I would like to thank Joseph O'Brien and all his team, particularly his handler Sean Corby and Mark Power.
"He has brought so much excitement to our ownership group, families and friends. Living Legends will be his new home."
Twilight Payment's dam Dream On Buddy (Oasis Dream) was passed in for 38,000 guineas at the 2010 Tattersalls December Mare Sale. She sold for 240,000 guineas to BBA Ireland in the same ring 12 months later after her half-sister Bamfire (Holy Roman Emperor) won the Group II Ribblesdale Stakes at Ascot, the Group II Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh and the Group II Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown.
