ROD MILLMAN called time on his stable star and former Horse of the Year Sergeant Cecil after the veteran came home last of the eight runners in the Royal Bank of Scotland Goodwood Cup.

The immensely popular stayer has shown little in his four starts this season, prompting connections to make an on-the-spot decision about his future.

The nine-year-old captured the hearts of the racing public with his handicap wins of 2005 in the Northumberland Plate, Ebor and Cesarewitch, before successfully graduating to Group company the following year.

Millman said: "He has been wonderful and has taken us to places we never dreamed of going.

"Him winning the Cadran on Arc weekend was probablythe most memorable day, along with his win in the Cesarewitch.

"We have had some great days with him and he helped to establish Alan Munro again in this country.               
"He has been a credit to the girls who have looked after him but he is now nine, isn't getting any quicker and is racing against the best group of stayers there has been.

"Coming here I was daydreaming in the car thinking that if Yeats wasn't quite right we could stalk him and come through and beat him, but obviously he got tired.

"It has been a great ride and I want to thank all of the public for their interest in him."

Munro added: "For me, that Cesarewitch is the race that stands out.

"I couldn't believe he would win that but he was always a Group horse running inthose handicaps."

Munro, who partnered Generous to win the 1991 Derby, added: "He is my favourite of all the horses I have ridden - to have been Horse of the Year as a handicapper says it all."