Charlottown
Charlottown | |
---|---|
Stallion | |
Foaled | 1963 |
Country | Great Britain |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | Someries Stud |
Owner | Lady Zia Wernher |
Trainer | Towser Gosden Gordon Smyth |
Record | 11: 7-3-0 |
Major wins | |
Solario Stakes (1965) Horris Hill Stakes (1965) Epsom Derby (1966) Oxfordshire Stakes (1966) John Porter Stakes (1967) Coronation Cup (1967) | |
Awards | |
Timeform rating 127 British Horse of the Year (1966) |
Charlottown (1963 – 1979) was a Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from 1965 until 1967 he ran ten times and won seven races. He is best known for winning the 1966 Derby.[1]
Background
Charlottown was bred in England by his owner, Lady Zia Wernher's Someries Stud[2] at Newmarket, Suffolk. He was sent into training with John "Towser" Gosden at Lewes in Sussex. He was sired by the Prix du Jockey Club winner Charlottesville and was the fifth and best foal of the racemare Meld who won the Fillies' Triple Crown in 1955.[3]
Racing career
1965: two-year-old season
Charlottown had a successful first season, being unbeaten in three starts. He won the Solario Stakes at Sandown by eight lengths, the Blackwood Stakes and the Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury. In the Free Handicap, an end of year ranking of the best two-year-olds he was rated five pounds below the top weight Young Emperor.
At the end of the 1966 season, Towser Gosden was forced to retire for health reasons and the training of Charlottown was taken over by Gordon Smyth.[4]
1966: three-year-old season
As a three-year-old in 1966 Charlottown's wins included the Derby and the Oxfordshire Stakes. Charlottown lost his unbeaten record on his three-year-old debut, when he finished second to Black Prince II in the Lingfield Derby Trial. There was some criticism of his jockey Ron Hutchinson's performance in the race, and the Derby ride on Charlottown was given to Scobie Breasley.[5]
In the Derby at
In the
1967: four-year-old season
Charlottown stayed in training as a four-year-old and won the John Porter Stakes at Newbury on his debut in April. At Epsom he defeated a field which included Sodium and the Prix du Jockey Club winner Nelcius in the Coronation Cup. In July, Charlottown was sent to France for the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. He ran poorly, finishing sixth of the eight runners behind Taneb. Charlottown never ran again and was retired to stud at the end of the season.[3]
Assessment
Charlottown was named British Horse of the Year by the Racecourse Association in 1966, gaining 176 of the 240 votes.
In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Charlottown as an “inferior” Derby winner.[9]
Stud record
Charlottown was not a success as a stallion in England. His influence is seen through his daughter Edinburgh, who was bred by the Ballymacoll Stud. She became the grand-dam of the Derby winner North Light, and the great grand-dam of the Two Thousand Guineas winner Golan. Charlottown was exported to Australia in 1976 and died there after a paddock accident in 1979.[5]
Pedigree
Sire Charlottesville (GB) 1957 |
Prince Chevalier 1943 |
Prince Rose | Rose Prince |
---|---|---|---|
Indolence | |||
Chevalerie | Abbot's Speed | ||
Kassala | |||
Noorani 1950 |
Nearco | Pharos | |
Nogara | |||
Empire Glory | Singapore | ||
Skyglory | |||
Dam Meld (GB) 1952 |
Alycidon 1945 |
Donatello | Blenheim |
Delleana | |||
Aurora | Hyperion | ||
Rose Red | |||
Daily Double 1943 |
Fair Trial
|
Fairway | |
Lady Juror | |||
Doubleton | Bahram | ||
Double Life (Family: 2-i) |
References
- ISBN 978-0-7146-8292-1.
- ^ Patricia Erigero Thoroughbred Heritage (1957-03-09). "Hurry On". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
- ^ ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
- ^ "Smyth, trainer of Epsom Derby winner Charlottown, dies". Thoroughbred Times. 2004-07-23. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
- ^ a b c Tony Morris (2011-10-01). "Consistent, honest colt who put Lewes back on the Classic map". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
- ^ "Irish colt Sodium wins Sweeps Derby". Miami News. 3 July 1966. Retrieved 2011-12-31.[permanent dead link]
- ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
- ISBN 9780714653563. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
- ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
- ^ "English Derby Winner: Charlottown". Chef-de-race.com. Archived from the original on 2011-09-17. Retrieved 2011-12-29.