100% they have taken the easy option.
As a racing fan I want to see her take on (and whoopass) on the international stage. She’s beaten every decent horse in this country already and beat them pointlessly.
Where’s the sporting challenge of having her hang around here for another 6 months taking on fields of half a dozen horses?
She’s already won 3 Cox Plates, that’s put her into immortal status already in this country, winning a 4th doesn’t really prove anything imo.
People will say ‘let them come here nothing is stopping them’ but let’s face facts even with the mega bucks that we throw around we still barely get any internationals except for plodding handicappers at Melbourne Cup time.
If not Ascot why didn’t they consider Dubai? Or even honkers or Japan all much closer to home and decent international competition.
For mine if she doesn’t travel and compete then she will always have a * next to her legacy.