Warhorse Casual Pass, who defied veterinarians to make three racing comebacks, has finally been retired with career earnings of almost $1.5 million.Owner David Moodie confirmed the eight-year-old had run his last race and would spend the rest of his days in a paddock at his Yungaburra property at Woodend, north of Melbourne.Casual Pass last raced in the Group One Yalumba Stakes, finishing last to Douro Valley.It was the same race two years earlier that he won after making a remarkable comeback a

Warhorse Casual Pass, who defied veterinarians to make three racing comebacks, has finally been retired with career earnings of almost $1.5 million.

Owner David Moodie confirmed the eight-year-old had run his last race and would spend the rest of his days in a paddock at his Yungaburra property at Woodend, north of Melbourne.

Casual Pass last raced in the Group One Yalumba Stakes, finishing last to Douro Valley.

It was the same race two years earlier that he won after making a remarkable comeback after it was thought he would never race again.

Moodie said Casual Pass was a great horse and a warrior but how good he could have been would never be known.

In 2003 he became the first three-year-old in 55 years to win the Mackinnon Stakes at weight-for-age over 2000 metres.

His lead-ups were successive wins in the Group Two Bill Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley and the Group Three Norman Robinson Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield.

"As a three-year-old he had the world at his feet when he won those three races straight," Moodie said.

But Casual Pass's career looked over when he was diagnosed with a severe tear to the suspensory ligament at the back of his near-fore knee.

"It was a catastrophic injury," Moodie said.

"It was such a bad tear the suspensory pulled a section of bone off the back of his knee."

But thanks to a successful stem cell operation, Casual Pass was able to return to Mathew Ellerton's Flemington stable and was racing again 14 months later.

The comeback was brief and he fractured a splint bone contesting Makybe Diva's 2005 Australian Cup.

Another 10 months passed before Casual Pass was seen again at the races and in April 2006 he won the Easter Cup. Six months later he crowned his comeback with unlikely win in the Group One Yalumba Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield.

Last year Casual Pass aggravated his suspensory injury which again threatened his career but he returned this spring with trainer Peter Morgan and just failed in a photo finish to beat Guillotine in the Group Two Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley.

Moodie said Casual Pass was nursed through his next two runs, including the Yalumba Stakes.

"He went sore again after the Dato Tan Chin Nam and his last two runs reflected that," Moodie said.

Casual Pass raced 41 times for seven wins and 10 placings.