ONE-TIME Champion Hurdle hope Alriffa has run his last race. The five year old finished lame when fifth on his hurdling debut at Kempton in February and has had to be retired.

"Alriffa won't race again," trainer Richard Hannon said yesterday. "We are looking around for a place at stud for him. He got a 75 per cent tear in a tendon which is a pretty serious injury and there was little chance of patching him up again."

Alriffa was quoted as short as 25 to 1 for the Champion Hurdle by William Hill having looked one of the best recruits to jumping from the Flat in recent years.

In total, Alriffa won four of his 17 starts on the Flat, earning nearly £150,000 prize money.