Nashwan

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Nashwan
Sire Blushing Groom
Grandsire Red God
Dam Height of Fashion
Damsire Bustino
Sex Stallion
Foaled 1986
Country USA Flag of the United States
Colour Chestnut
Breeder Hamdan Al Maktoum
Owner Hamdan Al Maktoum
Trainer Dick Hern
Record 7: 6-0-1
Earnings £793,248
Major Racing Wins, Awards and Honours
Major Racing Wins
2,000 Guineas (1989)
Epsom Derby (1989)
Eclipse Stakes (1989)
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1989)
Racing Awards
Timeform rating: 135
Infobox 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 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.

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.

Contents

[edit] 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 debutante Cacoethes.

[edit] 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.

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 & 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".

[edit] 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]

[edit] Pedigree

Pedigree of Nashwan
Sire
Blushing Groom
Red God Nasrullah Nearco
Mumtaz Begum
Spring Run Menow
Boola Brook
Runaway Bride Wild Risk Rialto
Wild Violet
Aimée Tudor Minstrel
Emali
Dam
Height of Fashion
Bustino Busted Crepello
Sans le Sou
Ship Yard Doutelle
Paving Stone
Highclere Queen's Hussar March Past
Jojo
Highlight Borealis
Hypericum

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nashwan dies at stud
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