Royal Palace (horse)
Encyclopedia
Royal Palace was a British
Thoroughbred
racehorse
. In 1967 he won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, the 2000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby
. Unusually for a Derby winner, he was even more successful as a four-year-old, when he won four races which are now Group One
events.
, the 1958 European Horse of the Year
and a grandson of one of the most influential stallions in history, Nearco
.
, in 1967 Australian Racing Hall of Fame
jockey George Moore
rode Royal Palace to victory in two British Classic Races. He first captured the 2,000 Guineas Stakes and then won the Derby
by defeating Charles Engelhard, Jr.'s
highly regarded colt, Ribocco
. In 1968, Royal Palace won several premier races including the Eclipse Stakes
, in which he scored a thrilling victory over the French colt Taj Dewan and that year's Derby winner Sir Ivor
; and finally the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, in which he broke down although holding on to win gamely. In all of his races as a four year old he was ridden by Sandy Barclay.
duty having won nine of his eleven starts, Royal Palace notably sired Dunfermline, winner of the 1977 Epsom Oaks
and St. Leger Stakes
for her owner, Queen Elizabeth II
.
In 1991, at The National Stud
near Newmarket, Suffolk in England
, the twenty-seven-year-old Royal Palace was euthanized
as a result of infirmities from old age. He is buried in The National Stud's horse cemetery.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Thoroughbred
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
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. In 1967 he won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, the 2000 Guineas and the 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...
. Unusually for a Derby winner, he was even more successful as a four-year-old, when he won four races which are now 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...
events.
Background
He was bred and raced by Jim Joel, whose father and uncle were both major forces in British horse racing. Out of the racing mare Crystal Palace, he was sired by BallymossBallymoss
Ballymoss was an Irish Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. The son of Mossborough, his grandsire was the extremely important Nearco. Out of the mare Indian call, the damsire of Ballymoss was Singapore whose sire was the 1918 U.K. Triple Crown winner Gainsborough.Ballymoss was sold by his breeder at...
, the 1958 European Horse of the Year
European Horse of the Year
European Horse of the Year is an award in European Thoroughbred horse racing. Since 1991 the honor has been part of the Cartier Racing Awards. It is presented annually by Cartier SA to a horse of any age racing in Europe.-Honorees:...
and a grandson of one of the most influential stallions in history, Nearco
Nearco
Nearco was an Italian bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by Thoroughbred Heritage as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He was not only unbeaten, winning 14 races at distances from 5 furlongs to 1 mile 7 furlongs ,...
.
Racing career
Trained by Noel MurlessNoel Murless
Sir Charles Francis Noel Murless began his career as a racehorse trainer in 1935 at Hambleton Lodge in Yorkshire before moving to Hambleton House after the war, at one time sharing premises with the equally legendary Ryan Price...
, in 1967 Australian Racing Hall of Fame
Australian Racing Hall of Fame
The Australian Racing Hall of Fame is part of the Australian Racing Museum which documents and honours the horseracing legends of Australia. The museum officially opened in 1981 and created the Hall of Fame in 2000....
jockey George Moore
George T. D. Moore
George Thomas Donald Moore OBE was an Australian jockey and Thoroughbred horse trainer. He began his career in racing in 1939 in Brisbane where he quickly became one of the top apprentice jockeys and where in 1943 he won the Senior Jockeys' Premiership. He then relocated to Sydney and in 1949 went...
rode Royal Palace to victory in two British Classic Races. He first captured the 2,000 Guineas Stakes and then won the 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...
by defeating Charles Engelhard, Jr.'s
Charles W. Engelhard, Jr.
Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. was an American businessman who controlled an international mining and metals conglomerate, as well as a major owner in Thoroughbred horse racing, and a candidate in the 1955 New Jersey State Senate Elections.Engelhard made his fortune in the precious metals industry,...
highly regarded colt, Ribocco
Ribocco
Ribocco was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed for owner Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. in England, Ireland, and France...
. In 1968, Royal Palace won several premier races including the Eclipse Stakes
Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early July.-History:The event is named after Eclipse, a...
, in which he scored a thrilling victory over the French colt Taj Dewan and that year's Derby winner Sir Ivor
Sir Ivor
Sir Ivor was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed from a base in Ireland. Owned by American businessman and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Raymond R...
; and finally the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, in which he broke down although holding on to win gamely. In all of his races as a four year old he was ridden by Sandy Barclay.
Stud career
Retired to studStud (animal)
A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...
duty having won nine of his eleven starts, Royal Palace notably sired Dunfermline, winner of the 1977 Epsom Oaks
Epsom 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....
and St. Leger Stakes
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...
for her owner, Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
In 1991, at The National Stud
The National Stud
The National Stud is a United Kingdom Thoroughbred horse breeding farm located two miles from Newmarket. The Stud originated in 1916 as a result of a gift by William Hall Walker of the entire bloodstock of his stud farm in Tully, Kildare town in County Kildare, Ireland...
near Newmarket, Suffolk in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the twenty-seven-year-old Royal Palace was euthanized
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
as a result of infirmities from old age. He is buried in The National Stud's horse cemetery.