- Nashwan
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Nashwan Sire Blushing Groom Grandsire Red God Dam Height of Fashion Damsire Bustino Sex Stallion Foaled 1986 Country USA Colour Chestnut Breeder Hamdan Al Maktoum Owner Hamdan Al Maktoum Trainer Dick Hern Record 7: 6-0-1 Earnings £793,248 Major wins Autumn Stakes (1988)
2,000 Guineas (1989)
Epsom Derby (1989)
Eclipse Stakes (1989)
K. George VI & Q. Elizabeth Stakes (1989)Awards Timeform rating: 135 Horse (Equus ferus caballus) Last updated on November 14, 2006 Nashwan (1986-2002) was a thoroughbred racehorse bred and owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.
The chestnut colt was sired by the 1977 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Blushing Groom out of Height of Fashion, a daughter of Bustino previously owned by Queen Elizabeth II. He was a thus half-brother to the Group Race winners Alwasmi, Unfuwain and Nayef. He was bred at Shadwell Farm, Lexington, Kentucky and foaled on March 1, 1986.
Nashwan was trained throughout his racing career by Major Dick Hern at West Ilsley in Berkshire, England, and was ridden in all of his races by the jockey Willie Carson.
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Two-year-old season
Nashwan made his debut in a maiden race at Newbury in August 1988, winning as 6/4 favourite in a field of 27 runners. His only subsequent race as a two-year-old was the Autumn Stakes at Ascot in October, then classed as a Listed race. Nashwan won by four lengths, beating a field which included the debutant Cacoethes.
Three-year-old season
In the spring of 1989, reports of impressive work at home saw Nashwan's odds for Classic Races continually shorten, and when he began his three-year-old campaign in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, he started the race as 3/1 favourite. He won by a length, with Exbourne in second and Danehill a further half length behind in third. Nashwan's next outing was to be the Epsom Derby. The distance of 1½ miles was well beyond anything the colt had previously encountered, but his pedigree suggested the distance would be ideal. With a favourite's starting price of 5/4, confidence was clearly high and Nashwan duly won the race by five lengths, with the 500/1 outsider Terimon in second, and Cacoethes third. He was the first horse to complete the Guineas-Derby double since Nijinsky II in 1970, though he was emulated by Sea the Stars in 2009.
Having conquered his own generation, Nashwan's next task was to prove himself against older opposition, starting with the Eclipse Stakes over 1¼ miles at Sandown Park. This time an odds-on favourite, he again won by five lengths, with the likes of Indian Skimmer and Warning behind. The next logical race for Nashwan was the all-aged middle distance showpiece of the summer, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. With the late withdrawal of the impressive Prix du Jockey Club winner Old Vic, Nashwan was expected to win the race easily, and started as 2/9 favourite. But this time Nashwan had to fight for his victory, with old rival Cacoethes challenging him throughout the final two furlongs. Nashwan won by a neck, and was now unbeaten in six races.
After a summer break, Nashwan's next target was to be the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, and to prepare for this he was sent to the Prix Niel. It was to be Nashwan's first defeat, finishing third behind Golden Pheasant on soft ground, and the decision was made to retire Nashwan and not to contest the "Arc".
Progeny
The two most successful racehorses sired by Nashwan are Swain (b. 1992), dual winner of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, and Bago (b. 2001), winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Nashwan died while at Shadwell Stud on July 19, 2002.[1]
Cultural references
British computer game developer Bitmap Brothers included references to Nashwan in many of their games. For example, Super Nashwan Power in Xenon 2 Megablast , Super Nashwan in Speedball 2, and "Nashwan" is used as a password in Gods.
Pedigree
Pedigree of Nashwan Sire
Blushing GroomRed God Nasrullah Nearco Mumtaz Begum Spring Run Menow Boola Brook Runaway Bride Wild Risk Rialto Wild Violet Aimée Tudor Minstrel Emali Dam
Height of FashionBustino Busted Crepello Sans le Sou Ship Yard Doutelle Paving Stone Highclere Queen's Hussar March Past Jojo Highlight Borealis Hypericum References
External links
Categories:- 1986 racehorse births
- 2002 racehorse deaths
- Thoroughbred racehorses
- Racehorses bred in Kentucky
- Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
- British Classic Race winners
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