Black Tarquin

Black Tarquin (1945–1965) was an American-bred, British-trained racehorse and

Black Tarquin was a dark brown, almost black[1] horse with a white star bred in the United States by his owner William Woodward Sr. He was the most successful horse sired by the British-bred Rhodes Scholar, who won the Eclipse Stakes in 1936 and was exported to America in 1940. Black Tarquin's dam was the leading racemare Vagrancy, the American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 1942 when her wins included the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. Vagrancy was a half-sister of the CCA Oaks winner Hypnotic and was a descendant of the influential Kentucky-bred broodmare Frizette. Because of the rules imposed by the Jersey Act of 1913, Black Tarquin, like many American racehorses, was not eligible for inclusion in the General Stud Book, and was therefore technically a half-bred rather than a Thoroughbred.^[2][3] The successes of Black Tarquin and his contemporary My Babu were important factors in the Jersey Act being abandoned in 1949.^[4]

In 1946, Woodward sent his colt to England,^[5] where he was trained by Cecil Boyd-Rochfort at his Freemason Lodge stables in Newmarket, Suffolk. Standing 16.3 hands high, Black Tarquin was an unusually large and heavily built Thoroughbred, which meant that he had to be trained with great care.^[6] Veterinary opinion was that the horse would not stand up to hard training,^[7] but he required regular exercise to keep his weight in check.^[8]

Racing career

1947: two-year-old season

Black Tarquin began his career by finishing unplaced in a race at

Black Tarquin was kept in training at four with the Ascot Gold Cup as his target.[8] He won his first three races beginning with the Chippenham Stakes. At Newmarket in May, he won the one and a half mile Burwell Stakes by five lengths from Fighter Command.^[20] He then won the White Rose Stakes over one and a quarter miles at Hurst Park Racecourse.

The Gold Cup featured a rematch with Alycidon, who had been unbeaten in four staying races since his defeat at Doncaster. Black Tarquin was made 10/11 favourite for the race ahead of Alycidon on 5/4.^[21] Alycidon, assisted by two pacemakers to ensure a true test of stamina, took the lead five furlongs from the finish. In the straight, Edgar Britt moved Black Tarquin up to challenge the leader and drew level a furlong from the finish, but Alycidon pulled away again in the closing stages to win by five lengths.^[22]

The race appeared to exhaust Black Tarquin, and in his only subsequent appearance he showed no sign of his previous form when he ran a "lifeless" race to finish fourth of the six runners in the Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket on 30 June.^[23]

Assessment and honours

The independent Timeform organisation gave Black Tarquin a rating of 134 in 1948 and 136 in 1949.^[12]

In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Black Tarquin a "superior" winner of the St Leger and the best British-trained racehorse of his generation.^[24]

Stud record

Black Tarquin returned to America for the start of his stud career, standing at