Prince Royal (horse)
Encyclopedia
Prince Royal was a Thoroughbred
racehorse
best known for winning France's
prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
. Bred by Charles W. Wacker III, his sire was the great undefeated Italian
runner and leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland, Ribot
.
Prince Royal was sold to Italy's Dr. Carlo Bassignana at the December 1961 Tattersalls
sale hor approximately $10,600. Trained by Giuseppe Galbiati, the colt began his career in racing at age two in Italy where he had one win in four of his 1963 starts with a third-place finish in Italy's most important race for his age group, the Gran Criterium
. Racing at age three in 1964, Prince Royal won his first three starts before finishing fourth in the Gran Premio d'Italia
. He came back to win the Gran Premio di Milano
and ran away from the opposition to win the Premio Besana by fifteen lengths. Sent to race in France
, Prince Royal was entered in the Prix Royal-Oak
in poor racing condition and held back, finishing last to Baron Guy de Rothschild's
winning colt, Barbieri. Negotiations, which had been going on prior to the Prix Royal-Oak, saw American Rex Ellsworth purchase Prince Royal for a reported US$
400,000 who turned him over to French trainer, Georges Bridgland. For his new owner and trainer, Prince Royal was next entered in the October 4th running of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Up against older horses, the three-year-old colt won the forty-third running of France's most important race.
Voted the French Champion Three-Year-Old Colt and the Italian Champion Three-Year-Old Colt of 1964, following Prince Royal's Arc victory he was retired from racing and sent to the United States where he was registered as "Prince Royal II".
Prince Royal served stud
duty at owner Rex Ellworth's breeding
operation in Southern California's Chino Valley
from 1965 through 1973. He met with little success as a stallion, siring just seven stakes race winners from 268 foals. He did however have one son, Unconscious, who won the 1971 San Felipe Handicap and the 1972 Strub Stakes
. Acquired by a Japanese breeder, he stood at stud in Japan from 1974-1983 when he reportedly was retired.
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...
best known for winning France's
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
. Bred by Charles W. Wacker III, his sire was the great undefeated Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
runner and leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland, Ribot
Ribot (horse)
Ribot was an Italian bay Thoroughbred racehorse, considered the strongest horse of all time.Undefeated in 16 races, he won over distances ranging from 5 furlongs to 1m 7f , in three different countries and in all types of track conditions...
.
Prince Royal was sold to Italy's Dr. Carlo Bassignana at the December 1961 Tattersalls
Tattersalls
Tattersalls is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall , who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. The first premises occupied were near Hyde Park Corner, in what was then the outskirts of London...
sale hor approximately $10,600. Trained by Giuseppe Galbiati, the colt began his career in racing at age two in Italy where he had one win in four of his 1963 starts with a third-place finish in Italy's most important race for his age group, the Gran Criterium
Gran Criterium
The Gran Criterium is a Group 1 flat horse race in Italy which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at San Siro, Milan, over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October....
. Racing at age three in 1964, Prince Royal won his first three starts before finishing fourth in the Gran Premio d'Italia
Gran Premio d'Italia
The Gran Premio d'Italia is a Listed flat horse race in Italy which is open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at San Siro, Milan, over a distance of 2,200 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
. He came back to win the Gran Premio di Milano
Gran Premio di Milano
The Gran Premio di Milano is a Group 1 flat horse race in Italy open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Milan over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
and ran away from the opposition to win the Premio Besana by fifteen lengths. Sent to race in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Prince Royal was entered in the Prix Royal-Oak
Prix Royal-Oak
The Prix Royal-Oak is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 3,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late October.-History:The event was established in 1861, and it was initially...
in poor racing condition and held back, finishing last to Baron Guy de Rothschild's
Guy de Rothschild
Baron Guy Édouard Alphonse Paul de Rothschild was a French banker and member of the Rothschild family. He chaired the bank Rothschild Frères from 1967 to 1979, when it was nationalized by the French government, and maintained possessions in other French and foreign companies including Imerys...
winning colt, Barbieri. Negotiations, which had been going on prior to the Prix Royal-Oak, saw American Rex Ellsworth purchase Prince Royal for a reported US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
400,000 who turned him over to French trainer, Georges Bridgland. For his new owner and trainer, Prince Royal was next entered in the October 4th running of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Up against older horses, the three-year-old colt won the forty-third running of France's most important race.
Voted the French Champion Three-Year-Old Colt and the Italian Champion Three-Year-Old Colt of 1964, following Prince Royal's Arc victory he was retired from racing and sent to the United States where he was registered as "Prince Royal II".
Prince Royal served stud
Stud (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 at owner Rex Ellworth's breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
operation in Southern California's Chino Valley
Chino Valley, California
Chino Valley is properly considered the cities of Chino, California and Chino Hills, California, and has a combined population of approximately 150,000.-Education:*Chino Valley Unified School District- Major thoroughfares :...
from 1965 through 1973. He met with little success as a stallion, siring just seven stakes race winners from 268 foals. He did however have one son, Unconscious, who won the 1971 San Felipe Handicap and the 1972 Strub Stakes
Strub Stakes
The Strub Stakes is an American race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California each year.Currently a Grade II stakes race with a purse of $300,000, it is open to horses, age four, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the synthetic surface of Santa Anita and offers...
. Acquired by a Japanese breeder, he stood at stud in Japan from 1974-1983 when he reportedly was retired.