Tudor Minstrel

Tudor Minstrel
Sire	Owen Tudor
Grandsire	Hyperion
Dam	Sansonnet
Damsire	Sansovino
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1944
Country	Great Britain
Colour	Brown
Breeder	John Arthur Dewar
Owner	John Arthur Dewar
Trainer	Fred Darling
Record	10: 8-1-0
Earnings	£24,629
Major wins
Coventry Stakes (1946) National Breeders' Produce Stakes (1946) 2,000 Guineas (1947) St. James's Palace Stakes (1947) Knights Royal Stakes (1947)
Awards
United Kingdom Champion 2-Yr-Old Colt (1946) Timeform rating: 144
Last updated on October 9, 2006

Tudor Minstrel (1944–1971) was a British-bred Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from the spring of 1946 until September 1947 he ran ten times and won eight races. He was unbeaten in four races in 1946, a year in which he was the highest-rated two-year-old in Britain, despite ending his season in July. The following year he won the 2,000 Guineas, St. James's Palace Stakes and Knights Royal Stakes over one mile but was beaten in his two attempts at longer distances, most notably when starting odds-on favourite for the 1947 Epsom Derby.

Background

Tudor Minstrel was a handsome, powerfully-built brown horse bred by his owner John Athur Dewar. Dewar inherited his thoroughbred racehorses from his uncle the Scottish whisky distiller Thomas Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar. These horses included Lady Juror, who became a successful broodmare, producing Fair Trial and Sansonnet. Sansonnet in turn produced the Coronation Stakes winner Neolight before becoming the dam of Tudor Minstrel who was sired by Owen Tudor, the 1941 Epsom Derby winner.

Racing career

1946: two-year-old season

Tudor Minstrell began his racing career by winning races at Bath and Salisbury in the spring of 1946. He was then sent to Royal Ascot where he won the Coventry Stakes by four lengths. In July he won the National Breeders Produce Stakes at Sandown Park by four lengths and was then retired for the season.

At the end of the year, Tudor Minstrel was given a weight of 133 pounds in the Free Handicap, a rating of the best British two-year-olds, making him the leading juvenile of the season.

1947: three-year-old season

Tudor Minstrel began his 1947 by winning a minor race at Bath and then started 11/8 favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. Ridden by Gordon Richards, Tudor Minstrel won the one mile 2,000 Guineas by eight lengths, from Saravan, with Sayajirao in third.^[1] The winning margin was the biggest recorded in the race in the 20th century. Richards eased the colt down in the final furlong, leading contemporary observers to believe that Tudor Minstrel could have won the race by twenty lengths. In the aftermath of his Guineas win, he was described as the "horse of the century".^[2]

Tudor Minstrel started at odds of 4/7 at Epsom on a cold, wet day in front of an estimated 400,000 spectators including the King and Queen. Doubts about his stamina were countered by those who pointed out that his pedigree contained many good stayers, with one observer stating that Tudor Minstrel could win the race even if he were hitched to a cart.^[3] He failed to settle in the early stages and tired in the straight, finishing fourth behind Pearl Diver.^[4] Later in June, Tudor Minstrel returned to one mile for the St. James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and won easily. In July, the colt was again tried over middle distances in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown but finished second behind Migoli.^[5]

In Autumn, Tudor Minstrel appeared for the final time and won the Knight's Royal Stakes at Ascot, a race which was the forerunner of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, beating a field which included Petition and the leading sprinter The Bug.

Assessment

British rating company Timeform have Tudor Minstrel ranked equal third among post-war European racehorses, level with Brigadier Gerard but behind Sea-Bird and unbeaten champion miler Frankel.

Stud career

Retired for breeding purposes, Tudor Minstrel was successful at stud, siring numerous winners including the 1959 Kentucky Derby winner Tomy Lee. Other sons included Sing Sing, Tudor Melody and Will Somers, all three of whom were primarily an influence for speed. Sing Sing sired Song, who in turn sired the brilliant sprinting mare and 1993 European Horse of the Year Lochsong. Tudor Melody was the sire of British champion older horse Welsh Pageant, who had his own success at stud as the damsire of champions Celtic Swing and Ouija Board. The continuation of the Tudor Minstrel male line now depends on the Will Somers line, via the sons of European champion sprinter Cadeaux Genereux.

Tabulated pedigree

Pedigree of Tudor Minstrel, brown stallion, 1944
Sire Owen Tudor 1938	Hyperion Ch. 1930	Gainsborough	Bayardo
		Gainsborough	Rosedrop
		Selene	Chaucer
		Selene	Serenissima
	Mary Tudor 1931	Pharos	Phalaris
		Pharos	Scapa Flow
		Anna Bolena	Teddy
		Anna Bolena	Queen Elizabeth
Dam Sansonnet 1933	Sansovino 1921	Swynford	John O' Gaunt
		Swynford	Canterbury Pilgrim
		Gondolette	Loved One
		Gondolette	Dongola
	Lady Juror 1919	Son-In-Law	Dark Ronald
		Son-In-Law	Mother In Law
		Lady Josephine	Sundridge
		Lady Josephine	Americus Girl (Family: 9-c)^[6]

References

↑ "TUDOR MINSTREL, WINS GUINEAS LONDON, Wednesday". Canberra Times. 1 May 1947. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
↑ "Tudor Minstrel Wins English Classic". Burnie Advocate. 2 May 1947. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
↑ "Prospects for the Derby". The Age. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
↑ "40/1 Pearl Diver wins the Derby". Indian Express. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
↑ "Eclipse Stakes To Migoli". The Mercury. 19 Jul 1947. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
↑ http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Families/Family9c.htm

2000 Guineas winners

1809 Wizard 1810 Hephestion 1811 Trophonius 1812 Cwrw 1813 Smolensko 1814 Olive 1815 Tigris 1816 Nectar 1817 Manfred 1818 Interpreter 1819 Antar 1820 Pindarrie 1821 Reginald 1822 Pastille ♥ 1823 Nicolo 1824 Schahriar 1825 Enamel 1826 Dervise 1827 Turcoman 1828 Cadland 1829 Patron 1830 Augustus 1831 Riddlesworth 1832 Archibald 1833 Clearwell 1834 Glencoe 1835 Ibrahim 1836 Bay Middleton 1837 Achmet 1838 Grey Momus 1839 The Corsair 1840 Crucifix ♥ 1841 Ralph 1842 Meteor 1843 Cotherstone 1844 The Ugly Buck 1845 Idas 1846 Sir Tatton Sykes 1847 Conyngham 1848 Flatcatcher 1849 Nunnykirk 1850 Pitsford 1851 Hernandez 1852 Stockwell 1853 West Australian ₩ 1854 The Hermit 1855 Lord of the Isles 1856 Fazzoletto 1857 Vedette 1858 Fitz-Roland 1859 The Promised Land 1860 The Wizard 1861 Diophantus 1862 The Marquis 1863 Macaroni 1864 General Peel 1865 Gladiateur ₩ 1866 Lord Lyon ₩ 1867 Vauban 1868 Formosa ♥ Moslem 1869 Pretender 1870 Macgregor 1871 Bothwell 1872 Prince Charlie 1873 Gang Forward 1874 Atlantic 1875 Camballo 1876 Petrarch 1877 Chamant 1878 Pilgrimage ♥ 1879 Charibert 1880 Petronel 1881 Peregrine 1882 Shotover ♥ 1883 Galliard 1884 Scot Free 1885 Paradox 1886 Ormonde ₩ 1887 Enterprise 1888 Ayrshire 1889 Enthusiast 1890 Surefoot 1891 Common ₩ 1892 Bona Vista 1893 Isinglass ₩ 1894 Ladas 1895 Kirkconnel 1896 St. Frusquin 1897 Galtee More ₩ 1898 Disraeli 1899 Flying Fox ₩ 1900 Diamond Jubilee ₩ 1901 Handicapper 1902 Sceptre 1903 Rock Sand ₩ 1904 St. Amant 1905 Vedas 1906 Gorgos 1907 Slieve Gallion 1908 Norman 1909 Minoru 1910 Neil Gow 1911 Sunstar 1912 Sweeper 1913 Louvois 1914 Kennymore 1915 Pommern ₩ 1916 Clarissimus 1917 Gay Crusader ₩ 1918 Gainsborough ₩ 1919 The Panther 1920 Tetratema 1921 Craig an Eran 1922 St Louis 1923 Ellangowan 1924 Diophon 1925 Manna 1926 Colorado 1927 Adam's Apple 1928 Flamingo 1929 Mr Jinks 1930 Diolite 1931 Cameronian 1932 Orwell 1933 Rodosto 1934 Colombo 1935 Bahram ₩ 1936 Pay Up 1937 Le Ksar 1938 Pasch 1939 Blue Peter 1940 Djebel 1941 Lambert Simnel 1942 Big Game 1943 Kingsway 1944 Garden Path ♥ 1945 Court Martial 1946 Happy Knight 1947 Tudor Minstrel 1948 My Babu 1949 Nimbus 1950 Palestine 1951 Ki Ming 1952 Thunderhead 1953 Nearula 1954 Darius 1955 Our Babu 1956 Gilles de Retz 1957 Crepello 1958 Pall Mall 1959 Taboun 1960 Martial 1961 Rockavon 1962 Privy Councillor 1963 Only for Life 1964 Baldric 1965 Niksar 1966 Kashmir 1967 Royal Palace 1968 Sir Ivor 1969 Right Tack 1970 Nijinsky ₩ 1971 Brigadier Gerard 1972 High Top 1973 Mon Fils 1974 Nonoalco 1975 Bolkonski 1976 Wollow 1977 Nebbiolo 1978 Roland Gardens 1979 Tap On Wood 1980 Known Fact 1981 To-Agori-Mou 1982 Zino 1983 Lomond 1984 El Gran Senor 1985 Shadeed 1986 Dancing Brave 1987 Don't Forget Me 1988 Doyoun 1989 Nashwan 1990 Tirol 1991 Mystiko 1992 Rodrigo de Triano 1993 Zafonic 1994 Mister Baileys 1995 Pennekamp 1996 Mark of Esteem 1997 Entrepreneur 1998 King of Kings 1999 Island Sands 2000 King's Best 2001 Golan 2002 Rock of Gibraltar 2003 Refuse to Bend 2004 Haafhd 2005 Footstepsinthesand 2006 George Washington 2007 Cockney Rebel 2008 Henrythenavigator 2009 Sea the Stars 2010 Makfi 2011 Frankel 2012 Camelot 2013 Dawn Approach 2014 Night of Thunder 2015 Gleneagles

Legend - ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly

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