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The racing career of one of Britain's most popular and talented fillies has come to an end with news that Group 1 stalwart The Fugue has been retired after picking up a knock in last weekend's Coral-Eclipse Stakes.

The four-time Group 1 winner, whose finest hour came only last month when she broke the track record at Royal Ascot in the Prince of Wales's Stakes, will be sent to the paddocks at the Lloyd-Webbers' Watership Down Stud.

John Gosden, who has trained The Fugue at his Clarehaven base in Newmarket throughout her glittering career, revealed yesterday that the five-year-old daughter of Dansili had injured herself when running a lacklustre sixth behind Mukhadram at Sandown in what was to be the final race of her globe-trotting career.

"Unfortunately The Fugue sustained an injury to her near-fore in the Eclipse Stakes," said the trainer.

"Having discussed the matter with Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd-Webber, we have taken the decision, in the best interests of the filly, to retire her from racing.

"The Fugue has been a pleasure to train and to be around for all of us here and she never ceased to amaze us with her courage and athletic ability," he added."

Having scored on her debut as a two-year-old at Newmarket in October 2011, The Fugue exits the scene with a career record of six wins and seven places from 17 starts. Her last 12 runs have all come at Group 1 level, where she could never easily be discounted. Before the Prince of Wales's, her three Group 1 triumphs came in the Nassau Stakes as a three-year-old and the Yorkshire Oaks last year before a memorable effort to beat Al Kazeem in the Irish Champion Stakes.