Parthia (horse)
Encyclopedia
Parthia was a British Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from October 1958 to July 1960 he ran twelve times, winning six races, four of which are now Group races
. His most notable success came in the 1959 Epsom Derby
. He went on to have a successful stud career in Great Britain and Japan.
. He was trained throughout his career by the veteran Captain (later Sir) Cecil Boyd-Rochfort
at his Freemason Lodge Stable at Newmarket, Suffolk.
Parthia’s sire Persian Gulf
won the Coronation Cup
in 1944 and went on to be a successful sire. Apart from Parthia, his most notable offspring was the 1000 Guineas winner Zabara. His dam, Lightning won one race and was a half sister of Alcide
. Alcide, who ran for the same owner and trainer as Parthia, had been the ante-post favourite for the 1958 Derby but was withdrawn from the race after being “got at” (deliberately injured) in his stable.
, but then showed considerable improvement to run third in the Dewhurst Stakes
at Newmarket
.
Classic. He began by winning the White Rose Stakes
at Hurst Park in April and was then sent to Chester
were he won the Dee Stakes
in May. His preparation for the Derby was completed by a victory in the Lingfield Derby Trial
. Although he had won his first three starts he had not been particularly impressive, running in a "lazy" fashion and doing just enough to win in each case.
In the Derby he started at odds of 10/1 in a field of twenty on an unusually hot day in front of a crowd which included the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
. Ridden by Harry Carr he was always prominent and challenged the leader Fidalgo (ridden by Carr's son-in-law Joe Mercer
) in the straight. He pulled ahead in the final furlong to win by one and a half lengths from Fidalgo, with the French-trained favourite Shantung third. Shantung was considered an unlucky loser: he had been virtually pulled-up by his jockey who feared he was injured, and finished strongly after being tailed-off in last place entering the straight.
Parthia suffered from a respiratory infection and began coughing after the Derby. He was the course for three months before returning in the St Leger
. He started 8/13 favourite, but finished fourth sustaining an injury which ended his season.
(then run over one and a half miles) at Newmarket and the Paradise Stakes over fourteen furlongs at Hurst Park.
At Epsom he finished second to the outstanding filly Petite Etoile
in the Coronation Cup
and was then sent to Royal Ascot for the Hardwicke Stakes
. He was expected to win but finished second, failing to concede six pounds
to Aggressor after being forced to make much of the running.
On his final start he ran unplaced behind Aggressor and Petite Etoile in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
awarded Parthia a rating of 132 in 1959. A rating of 130 is considered the mark of an above average European Group One
winner
In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Parthia an “average” Derby winner.
in 1969. In Japan he sired Fujino Parthia, winner of the Tenno Sho
in autumn 1975 and the Takarazuka Kinen
in 1976. Parthia died in Japan in 1982.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from October 1958 to July 1960 he ran twelve times, winning six races, four of which are now Group races
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
. His most notable success came in the 1959 Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
. He went on to have a successful stud career in Great Britain and Japan.
Background
Parthia was a bay horse bred in England by his owner Sir Humphrey de TraffordSir Humphrey de Trafford, 4th Baronet
Sir Humphrey Edmund de Trafford, 4th Baronet MC, DL was a prominent English racehorse owner, and the grandfather of Brigadier Andrew Henry Parker Bowles. He was the son of Sir Humphrey de Trafford, 3rd Baronet, and Violet Alice Maud Franklin.-Early life:Humphrey was educated at The Oratory School...
. He was trained throughout his career by the veteran Captain (later Sir) Cecil Boyd-Rochfort
Cecil Boyd-Rochfort
Sir Cecil Charles Boyd-Rochfort CVO was a British thoroughbred racehorse trainer who was British flat racing Champion Trainer five times....
at his Freemason Lodge Stable at Newmarket, Suffolk.
Parthia’s sire Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
won the Coronation Cup
Coronation Cup
The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
in 1944 and went on to be a successful sire. Apart from Parthia, his most notable offspring was the 1000 Guineas winner Zabara. His dam, Lightning won one race and was a half sister of Alcide
Alcide (horse)
Alcide was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. It is widely believed that Alcide would have won Epsom's 1958 Derby had not foul play prevented him from running. A form line through Nagami, who was third in the Derby and when racing against Alcide, gives credence to that theory...
. Alcide, who ran for the same owner and trainer as Parthia, had been the ante-post favourite for the 1958 Derby but was withdrawn from the race after being “got at” (deliberately injured) in his stable.
1958: two-year-old season
Parthia was slow to mature and did not appear on the racecourse until the October of his two-year-old season. He finished sixth on his debut in a race at Hurst ParkHurst Park Racecourse
Hurst Park Racecourse was a racecourse at Moulsey Hurst, West Molesey, Surrey. It was first laid out in 1890 and sold for residential housing in 1962. The Triumph Hurdle was run here from 1939 until the course closed. The last race to be held here was the Byfleet Stakes, the 4.30 on Wednesday 10...
, but then showed considerable improvement to run third in the Dewhurst Stakes
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was established in 1875, and it...
at Newmarket
Newmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
.
1959: three-year-old season
At three, Parthia was targeted at the Derby from early in the season and was entered in recognised trial races for the EpsomEpsom Downs Racecourse
Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse near Epsom, Surrey, England. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies, over a mile and a half...
Classic. He began by winning the White Rose Stakes
White Rose Stakes
The White Rose Stakes was a flat horse race in Great Britain which was open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It was run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it was scheduled to take place each year in late April or early May....
at Hurst Park in April and was then sent to Chester
Chester Racecourse
Chester Racecourse, known as the Roodee, is according to official records the oldest racecourse still in use in England. Horse racing at Chester dates back to the early sixteenth century. It is also thought to be the smallest racecourse of significance in England at 1 mile and 1 furlong ...
were he won the Dee Stakes
Dee Stakes
The Dee Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Chester over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 75 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
in May. His preparation for the Derby was completed by a victory in the Lingfield Derby Trial
Lingfield Derby Trial
The Lingfield Derby Trial is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Lingfield Park over a distance of 1 mile, 3 furlongs and 106 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.The event was established in 1932, and...
. Although he had won his first three starts he had not been particularly impressive, running in a "lazy" fashion and doing just enough to win in each case.
In the Derby he started at odds of 10/1 in a field of twenty on an unusually hot day in front of a crowd which included the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
. Ridden by Harry Carr he was always prominent and challenged the leader Fidalgo (ridden by Carr's son-in-law Joe Mercer
Joe Mercer (jockey)
Joseph Mercer is a retired English Thoroughbred race horse jockey. He was active as a jockey from 1947 to 1985 and rode a total of 2,810 winners in Britain, a figure exceeded only by Sir Gordon Richards, Lester Piggott and Doug Smith at the time of Mercer’s retirement, and subsequently only...
) in the straight. He pulled ahead in the final furlong to win by one and a half lengths from Fidalgo, with the French-trained favourite Shantung third. Shantung was considered an unlucky loser: he had been virtually pulled-up by his jockey who feared he was injured, and finished strongly after being tailed-off in last place entering the straight.
Parthia suffered from a respiratory infection and began coughing after the Derby. He was the course for three months before returning in the St Leger
St. Leger Stakes
The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...
. He started 8/13 favourite, but finished fourth sustaining an injury which ended his season.
1960: four-year-old season
Parthia returned with two wins in the spring of 1960. He won the Jockey Club CupJockey Club Cup
The British Champions Long Distance Cup, formerly known as the Jockey Club Cup, is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles...
(then run over one and a half miles) at Newmarket and the Paradise Stakes over fourteen furlongs at Hurst Park.
At Epsom he finished second to the outstanding filly Petite Etoile
Petite Etoile
Petite Etoile was a filly of the highest quality, but her success would hardly have been anticipated by those who saw her in her first race as a two-year-old when she was beaten by eight lengths in a two-horse race...
in the Coronation Cup
Coronation Cup
The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
and was then sent to Royal Ascot for the Hardwicke Stakes
Hardwicke Stakes
The Hardwicke Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
. He was expected to win but finished second, failing to concede six pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to Aggressor after being forced to make much of the running.
On his final start he ran unplaced behind Aggressor and Petite Etoile in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Assessment
TimeformTimeform
Timeform Publications is a publishing company in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England founded in 1948 to provide information to fans, bettors, and others involved in the horse racing industry...
awarded Parthia a rating of 132 in 1959. A rating of 130 is considered the mark of an above average European Group One
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
winner
In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Parthia an “average” Derby winner.
Stud career
Parthia stood as a stallion in England until he was exported to Japan in 1968. The most notable of his European offspring was the filly Sleeping Partner who won the Epsom OaksEpsom Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....
in 1969. In Japan he sired Fujino Parthia, winner of the Tenno Sho
Tenno Sho
The Tennō Shō is a horse race held twice a year in Japan, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "Emperor of Japan". The races are both International Grade I races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Grade I races.-Spring:The Spring Tenno Sho...
in autumn 1975 and the Takarazuka Kinen
Takarazuka Kinen
The Takarazuka Kinen is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 2,200 metres at Hanshin Racecourse in late June...
in 1976. Parthia died in Japan in 1982.