Last year’s Dubai World Cup runner-up Algiers has been retired from racing.

Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, he improved from winning a handicap at York in October 2022 to be beaten only by the Japanese winner Ushba Tesoro just six months later in one of the richest races in the world.

The Shamardal gelding excelled on dirt, winning two rounds of the Maktoum Challenge before his World Cup effort.

Just touched off in a Grade Three at Woodbine on his only outing since, he had been thought to be all set for another Dubai Carnival.

But in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Simon Crisford said: “Unfortunately, Algiers is not showing the same sparkle in his work and we have decided to retire him.

“He was a very consistent horse who loved Meydan. He showed his brilliance in Rounds 1 and 2 of the Maktoum Challenge before running a close second in the Dubai World Cup.

“He will now enjoy a happy retirement and I would like to thank his owners Sultan Ali and Hamdan bin Sultan Ali Alsabousi for their support.”