Rheingold (1969–1990) was an Irish
Thoroughbred racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
best known as the winner of France's most prestigious race, the
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Background
A descendant of the extremely important
sire
Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French.
The words "sire" a ...
Nearco through both his sire and his dam, Rheingold showed promise racing at age two when he finished second in the 1971
Champagne and
Dewhurst Stakes. He was bred by Dr. James Russell at
Bansha Castle,
County Tipperary in Ireland.
Racing career
In 1972, Rheingold was beaten a short head by
Roberto in
The Derby. He then won the
Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud against older horses and finished fourth in the inaugural
Benson & Hedges Gold Cup in which Roberto beat the celebrated
Brigadier Gerard. The following year, Rheingold finished second in the
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes to the great French
filly
A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use:
*In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old.
*In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...
,
Dahlia. He won his second straight Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud under jockey
Yves Saint-Martin then in the autumn defeated the future
French Horse Racing Hall of Fame filly
Allez France
Allez France (24 May 1970 – 11 December 1989) was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Winner of the French 1000 Guineas, the French Oaks and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, she was one of the greatest-ever ...
to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe under
Lester Piggott, who was winning the race for the first time.
Stud record
Rheingold was retired after the 1973 racing season and stood at
stud in Ireland from 1974 to 1979. Among his progeny, he was the sire of two-time
Ascot Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,014 ...
winner,
Gildoran
Gildoran (foaled 6 June 1980) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion. A specialist stayer he won the Ascot Gold Cup in 1984 and 1985. His other wins included the Sagaro Stakes and the Goodwood Cup. In all, he won ...
and
Noir et Or
Noir (or noire) is the French word for black. It may also refer to:
Places
In Canada
* Noire River (Ottawa River tributary), in the Outaouais region of Quebec
* Noire River, a tributary of the Yamaska River in Eastern Townships area, Quebec
I ...
whose wins included the
Grade I Grand Prix Prince Rose
Formerly known as the ''Grand International d'Ostende'' (1898), the race was renamed Grand Prix Prince Rose in honor of the great Belgian crack, Prince Rose. It is run in July at the Ostend racecourse on the occasion of the Belgian Nati ...
and
Prix du Conseil de Paris.
In 1980 Rheingold was sold to a Japanese breeding operation where he died in 1990.
References
Rheingold's pedigree and racing stats{{Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Winners
1969 racehorse births
1990 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in Ireland
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Arc winners
Thoroughbred family 10-c