Royal Charger

Royal Charger (1942–1961) was a British Thoroughbred that was successful as a racehorse, but much more important as a sire.

Royal Charger
SireNearco
GrandsirePharos
DamSun Princess
DamsireSolario
SexStallion
Foaled1942
CountryGreat Britain
ColourChestnut
BreederSir John Jarvis
OwnerSir John Jarvis
Irish National Stud (1946 at stud)
George D. Widener, Jr. (1953 at stud)
TrainerJack Jarvis
Record20: 6-7-2
Earnings£5,057
Major wins
Queen Anne Stakes (1946)
Challenge Stakes (1946)
Ayr Gold Cup (1946)
Last updated on 23 November 2006

Background

Royal Charger was a chestnut horse sired by the important stallion Nearco. His dam, Sun Princess, was a descendant of the famous broodmare Mumtaz Mahal. He was owned by Sir John Jarvis and trained by his unrelated namesake Jack Jarvis at Newmarket, Suffolk.[1]

Racing career

Royal Charger failed to win as a two-year-old in 1944, but showed some promise when twice finishing second. As a three-year-old, he finished third in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on 9 May, beaten a neck and two lengths by Court Martial and Dante.[2] Later that year, he was placed in the Duke of York Stakes and won the Challenge Stakes.

As a four-year-old, Royal Charger won the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Ayr Gold Cup (carrying 133 pounds).[3]

Stud career

Retired after his four-year-old racing season in 1946, Royal Charger was sold to the Irish National Stud for £52,000.[4] There, he sired a number of important horses before being purchased in 1953 by American George D. Widener, Jr., who brought him to stand at his Old Kenney Farm (now Green Gates Farm) in Lexington, Kentucky. A three-quarters brother to the important sire Nasrullah, which also was brought to Kentucky from England, Royal Charger sired more than 55 stakes winners. Among his Irish progeny was Turn-To, which also was sent to the U.S., where he was the leading juvenile sire in 1958, notably through his colt First Landing. Other offspring included:

In addition, Royal Charger was an important broodmare sire of more than 70 stakes winners, including Crowned Prince, the 1971 Champion two-year-old colt in England; the 1969 U.S. Champion two-year-old filly, Tudor Queen; and U.S. Hall of Famer Majestic Prince.

Royal Charger died in November 1961 and was buried at Old Kenney Farm in Lexington.

Pedigree
Pedigree of Royal Charger[5]
Sire
Nearco		 Pharos Phalaris Polymelus
Bromus
Scapa Flow Chaucer
Anchora
Nogara Havresac Rabelais
Hors Concours
Catnip Spearmint
Sibola
Dam
Sun Princess		 Solario Gainsborough Bayardo
Rosedrop
Sun Worship Sundridge
Doctrine
Mumtaz Begum Blenheim Blandford
Malva
Mumtaz Mahal The Tetrarch
Lady Josephine

References
  1. Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
  2. "Papers Past — Evening Post — 10 May 1945 — ENGLISH CLASSIC". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1945-05-10. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
  3. McLean, Ken (April 2006). Designing Speed in the Racehorse – Ken McLean – Google Books. ISBN 9780929346809. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
  4. "Dáil Éireann – Volume 136 – 10 February, 1953 – Committee on Finance – Adjournment Debate—Purchase of Racehorse". Historical-debates.oireachtas.ie. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
  5. http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=426489&registry=T&horse_name=*Royal%20Charger&dam_name==Sun%20Princess%20(GB)&foaling_year=1942&nicking_stats_indicator=Y
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