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Queen's Hussar

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Queen's Hussar
SireMarch Past
GrandsirePetition
DamJojo
DamsireVilmorin
SexStallion
Foaled1960
CountryUnited Kingdom
ColourBay
BreederG S Stephens
OwnerHenry Herbert, 6th Earl of Carnarvon
TrainerThomas Corbett
Record21: 7-2-2
Major wins
Washington Singer Stakes (1962)
Lockinge Stakes (1963)
Sussex Stakes (1963)
Awards
Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland (1972)
Timeform rating: 124

Queen's Hussar (1960–1981) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He won the Washington Singer Stakes as a two-year-old in 1962 before taking the Lockinge Stakes and the top-class Sussex Stakes in 1963. He was retired to stud where his record was initially disappointing. However, he went on to sire the classic winners Brigadier Gerard, the highest-rated British horse of the twentieth century, and Highclere.

Background

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Queen's Hussar was a bay horse with a small white star[1] officially bred by G. S. Stephens at the Highclere Stud. He was sired by March Past, a sprinter whose biggest win came in the Wokingham Stakes in 1954. Apart from Queen's Hussar, the best of his progeny was Major Rose, a stayer who won the Chester Cup and the Cesarewitch Handicap as well as being placed in two runnings of the Champion Hurdle. Queen's Hussar's dam Jojo won one minor race before becoming a successful broodmare. She also produced the Nell Gwyn Stakes winner Hiding Place who was the dam of the Ascot Gold Cup winner Little Wolf and the grand-dam of Sheikh Albadou.[2]

During his racing career, Queen's Hussar raced in the colours of Henry Herbert, 6th Earl of Carnarvon, the owner of the Highclere Stud. He was trained by Thomas "Atty" Corbett (1921–1976) at Yew Tree House at Compton in Berkshire.[3]

Racing career

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Queen's Hussar raced nine times as a two-year-old in 1962. He won the Cannon Yard Plate at Windsor Racecourse, the Cuddington Stakes at Epsom, the Washington Singer Stakes at Newbury and a Rous Memorial Stakes at Newmarket.[4]

In the spring of 1963, Queen's Hussar was tried over sprint distances and finished third in the Palace House Stakes over five furlong at Newmarket. In May he was moved up in distance and matched against older horses in the Lockinge Stakes over one mile at Newbury. Ridden by the Australian jockey Scobie Breasley he started at odds of "9/2"[5] and won from Cyrus and Romulus.[4] At Royal Ascot in June he contested the Jersey Stakes in which he finished third behind the fillies The Creditor and Brief Flight. Queen's Hussar then ran in the Sussex Stakes (then restricted to three and four-year-olds) over one mile at Goodwood Racecourse on 31 July. Ridden by the Australian Ron Hutchinson he was given little chance and started a 25/1 outsider[5] in front of a crowd which included Queen Elizabeth II. Hutchinson held the horse up at the back of the field before producing a strong late run to win by a head from the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Linacre with Nereus three lengths back in third.[6] In August, Queen's Hussar finished second to the filly Dunce Cap in the Hungerford Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury.[3]

Queen's Hussar raced three times as a four-year-old in 1964, recording his only win in the Cavendish Stakes at Sandown Park Racecourse.[3]

Assessment

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In the 1962 Free Handicap, a ranking of the best two-year-olds to race in Great Britain, Queen's Hussar was assigned a weight of 123 pounds, eight pounds below the top-rated Crocket.[3]

The independent Timeform organisation gave Queen's Hussar a peak rating of 124.[7]

Stud record

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Queen's Hussar was retired from racing to become breeding stallion. In the early part of his stud career, there was little demand for his services and he stood for several years at a fee of £250. This changed following the successes of his son Brigadier Gerard from 1970 to 1972. The colt won seventeen races and is still rated by Timeform as the second best racehorse trained in Britain since 1947. Thanks to the performances of Brigadier Gerard, Queen's Hussar was the Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 1972.[8] His stud fee increased to £2,000,[9] and he went on to sire several other good winners:

Pedigree

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Pedigree of Queen's Hussar (GB), bay stallion, 1960[10]
Sire
March Past (GB)
1950
Petition (GB)
1944
Fair Trial Fairway
Lady Juror
Art Paper Artist's Proof
Quire
Marcelette (GB)
1942
William of Valence Vatout
Queen Iseult
Permavon Stratford
Curl Paper
Dam
Jojo (GB)
1950
Vilmorin (GB)
1943
Gold Bridge Golden Boss
Flying Diadem
Queen of the Meadows Fairway
Queen of the Blues
Fairy Jane (GB)
1939
Fair Trial Fairway
Lady Juror
Light Tackle Salmon Trout
True Joy (Family: 19-c)[2]
  • Queen's Hussar was inbred 3 x 3 to Fair Trial, meaning that this stallion appear twice in the third generation of his pedigree. He was also inbred 4 x 4 x 4 to Fairway.

References

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  1. ^ "Queen's Hussar image". Highclere Stud. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – The Twinkle – Family 19-c". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
  4. ^ a b "White and Gold" (16 August 1963). "Queen's Hussar may triumph again". Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  5. ^ a b Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3.
  6. ^ "Mellon horse win abroad". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 1 August 1963. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  7. ^ Timeform staff (1982). Racehorses of 1981. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-33-2.
  8. ^ "Leading Sires of Great Britain and Ireland". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  9. ^ "Mill Reef- now it's up to son and daughters". The Age. 21 November 1972. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  10. ^ "Queen's Hussar pedigree". Equineline. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2013.