Right Royal

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Right Royal
SireOwen Tudor
GrandsireHyperion
DamBastia
DamsireVictrix
SexStallion
Foaled1958
CountryFrance
ColourBrown
BreederElisabeth Couturié
OwnerElisabeth Couturié
TrainerEtienne Pollet
Record11:8-2-0
Major wins
Prix de la Salamandre (1960)
Grand Critérium (1960)
Poule d'Essai des Poulains (1961)
Prix Lupin (1961)
Prix du Jockey Club (1961)
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1961)
Prix Henri Foy (1961)
Honours
British Horse of the Year (1961)

Right Royal (1958–1973) was a French Thoroughbred race horse and sire. He was the best two-year-old in France in 1960 when his wins included the Grand Critérium. He was the dominant three-year-old of his generation in Europe in the spring and summer of 1961, winning the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Prix du Jockey Club and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Right Royal was defeated in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and was retired to stud where he had some success as a breeding stallion.

Background[]

Right Royal was a brown horse bred in France by his owner Elisabeth Couturié. He was sired by The Derby winner Owen Tudor out of Bastia, a mare who never won a race and spent most of her racing career acting as a pacemaker for her more talented stable companion Tahiti, the winner of the 1954 Prix de Diane. Couturié sent her colt into training with Etienne Pollet at Chantilly.[1]

Racing career[]

1960: two-year-old season[]

Right Royal won three of his four races as a two-year-old. He won the Prix de la Salamandre and the Grand Critérium at Longchamp. At the end of the year he was rated the best colt of his generation in France.[1]

1961: three-year-old season[]

On his first appearance as a three-year-old, Right Royal was beaten in the Prix de Fontainebleau in April, after being given a questionable ride by Roger Poincelet. He then re-established himself as the best colt in France by winning the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, the Prix Lupin and the Prix du Jockey Club.[1] In the Prix du Jockey Club he won by three lengths from Match at odds of 9/5.[2]

In July, Right Royal was sent to England to contest the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in which he was matched against the 1960 Epsom Derby winner St. Paddy. Ridden by Roger Poincelet, he started at odds of 6/4 with St Paddy being made the 4/5 favourite in a race run on rain-softened turf. Right Royal tracked St Paddy until the final furlong when he was moved to the outside and easily accelerated past the English champion, winning by three lengths.[3]

In September, Right Royal returned to Longchamp to win the Prix Foy. A month later, in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Right Royal started favourite, but finished second of the nineteen runners, beaten two lengths by the Italian colt Molvedo.[4]

Assessment[]

Right Royal was awarded a rating of 135 by Timeform in 1961.[5]

In 1961, the Bloodstock Breeders' Review conducted their third Horse of the Year poll. Right Royal won the award, taking 50% of the votes.[5]

In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Right Royal the thirty-second best French horse of the 20th Century.[6]

Stud record[]

Right Royal had some success as a stallion. He sired the 1969 Irish Derby winner Prince Regent and Salvo, who won the Hardwicke Stakes and the Grosser Preis von Baden and finished second in both the King George and the Arc.

Pedigree[]

Pedigree of Right Royal, brown stallion, 1958[7]
Sire
Owen Tudor
1938　 		Hyperion
1930　 		Gainsborough Bayardo
Rosedrop
Selene Chaucer
Serenissima
Mary Tudor
1931　 		Pharos Phalaris
Scapa Flow
Anna Bolena Teddy
Queen Elizabeth
Dam
Bastia
1951 		Victrix
1934 		Kantar Alcanatra
Karabe
Victory Swynford
Lineage
Barberybush
1934 		Ksar Bruleur
Kizil Kourgan
Pervencheres Maboul
Poet's Star (Family: 3-f)[8]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
  2. ^ "Jockey scores Derby double". Milwaukee Sentinel. 5 June 1961. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
  3. ^ "Right Royal beats St Paddy". Montreal Gazette. 17 July 1961. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
  4. ^ "Rich race to Italian colt". Sydney Morning Herald. 8 October 1961. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
  5. ^ a b Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third ed.). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
  6. ^ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
  7. ^ Hugh McMahon. "Right Royal". Sporthorse-data.com. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
  8. ^ "Maid Marian – Family 3-f". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
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