be a clear second best, finishing five lengths behind Peintre Celebre, but two and a half lengths ahead of the rest of the field. Two weeks later at Newmarket, Pilsudski was made evens favourite for his final European start in the Champion Stakes. Kinane held the horse up before switching him to the outside to obtain a clear run inside the final quarter of a mile. Pilsudski accelerated to catch and pass the French colt Loup Sauvage inside the final furlong and pulled away to win by two lengths. The Sunday Mirror described his win as "a demolition job" and Kinane paid tribute to the winner, saying that "they don't come any tougher than this horse - not only is he the toughest I've ridden, he's one of the best." On his final start, Pilsudski was sent to Tokyo for the Japan Cup. Pilsudski was held up in the early stages before producing a sustained run in the straight to take the lead inside the final furlong. In a "courageous, fibre-testing performance", he held off a strong late challenge from the Tenno Sho winner Air Groove to win by a neck. Pilsudski was then retired from racing and was sent back to Japan to begin his stud career in January 1998. Assessment, honours and awards Pilsudski was named European Champion Older Horse of 1997 at the Cartier Racing Awards. He was also the highest ranked older horse of 1997 in the International Classification with a rating of 134. Stud career Pilsudski stood at stud at the Shizunai Stallion Station at Hokkaidō in Japan from 1997. After a six-season stud career in Japan with a disappointing cumulative average earnings index of 0.36, he was purchased by the Irish National Stud and Anngrove Stud and was returned to Ireland in 2003. He was based at the Anngrove Stud at Mountmellick, County Laois with a fee of €2,500 in 2010. Pedigree References 1992 racehorse births 2015 racehorse deaths Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Racehorses bred in Ireland Japan Cup winners Breeders' Cup Turf winners Cartier Award winners Thoroughbred family 11