Injured Cirrus Des Aigles misses Longines Cup at Sha Tin Following Frankel's retirement to stud, Cirrus Des Aigles, the winner of 16 fo his 45 starts, is the world's highest-rated horse in training, and as such, was a big drawcard for Hong Kong. But, after a soft tissue problem was found in his near-fore, not any more. "It's a huge disappointment for everybody involved, but that's horses for you," shrugged one official at Shat Tin on Friday morning. Cirrus Des Aigles has run some brilliant races, winning the inaugural Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot last year, and finishing a gallant second to Frankel in the same race in October. But, for some puzzling reason, he has never managed to get it right in Hong Kong. He finished fifth in the mile-and-a-half Vase in 2009, seventh in the mile-and-a-quarter Cup in 2010, and fifth in the Cup last year. This time, there had even been heavy rain in the week prior to the big day, but again he has missed out. Another French horse, Saonois, winner of the Prix du Jockey-Club, now gets his chance. It has been announced that Roger Varian's much-tyravelled mare Nahrain has been retired and will stand as a broodmare at Darley Stud. Unraced as a juvenile, Roger Varian's four-year-old mare won her first four races, culminating in the Group One Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp. She then travelled over to America for the Breeders" Cup where she was only narrowly beaten. It took all of Varian's skills to get her back to that level last season after a few lacklustre runs but she won the Grade One Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont before disappointing in the Breeders" Cup.