Tehran (horse)
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Tehran (1941–1966) was a British
Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, 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 bas ...
and
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" an ...
, who raced during World War II and was best known for winning the
classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
St Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over ...
in 1944. After showing little ability as a two-year-old he improved in the following spring to win the Culford Stakes on his three-year-old debut. He ran third in the
2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1.6 km) and scheduled to take place each yea ...
and was narrowly beaten into second place in the
Derby Stakes The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...
. After winning the Whepstead Stakes he recorded his biggest win when defeating a strong field in a substitute St Leger. He won his first three races in 1945 and finished second in the
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 ...
. He later became a successful breeding stallion, siring several major winners including
Tulyar Tulyar (1949–1972) was an Ireland, Irish bred, British-trained Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. He won Epsom Derby, The Derby, the St Leger Stakes, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Orm ...
.


Background

Tehran was a bay horse with a white
star A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...
and a white coronet marking on his left hind foot bred in the United Kingdom by
Prince Aly Khan Prince Aly Salomone Khan (13 June 1911 – 12 May 1960), known as Aly Khan, was an Ismaili sayyid, socialite and ambassador for Pakistan. He was the son of the Aga Khan III, and the father of Aga Khan IV. A socialite, racehorse owner and jocke ...
and owned by him in partnership with his father
Aga Khan III Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah (2 November 187711 July 1957), known as Aga Khan III, was the 48th Imamate in Nizari doctrine, imam of the Nizari Isma'ili, Ism'aili branch of Shia Islam. He was one of the founders and the first permanent president of ...
. He was sired by
Bois Roussel Bois Roussel (1935–1955) was a French-bred Thoroughbred champion racehorse and a leading broodmare sire. He won the 1938 Epsom Derby on his second racecourse appearance. Background He was named for Haras du Bois-Roussel, the breeding farm in A ...
, a French-bred horse who won the 1938 Epsom Derby before becoming a successful breeding stallion. His other progeny included the St Leger winner Ridge Wood and the
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe () is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris over a distance ...
winner
Migoli Migoli (May 8, 1944 – July 11, 1963) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse bred and raced by the Aga Khan III. Trained in England by Frank Butters, Migoli's win in the 1948 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France was the first ...
. Tehran's dam Stafaralla was a successful racehorse and broodmare who won the
Cheveley Park Stakes The Cheveley Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres) and is ...
in 1937 and produced the
Ebor Handicap The Ebor Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile 5 furlongs and 188 yards (2,787 metres). It i ...
winner Norooz. Stafarella was a granddaughter of Miranda, whose other descendants have included
Mrs McArdy Mrs McArdy (1974 – 5 August 1991) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the classic 1000 Guineas in 1977. She won four minor races as a two-year-old in 1977 before emerging as a top-class performer in th ...
,
Borgia The House of Borgia ( ; ; Spanish and ; ) was a Spanish noble family, which rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance. They were from Xàtiva, Kingdom of Valencia, the surname being a toponymic from the town of Borja, then in the Cro ...
and
Foolish Pleasure Foolish Pleasure (March 23, 1972 – November 17, 1994) was an American bay Thoroughbred race horse who won the 1975 Kentucky Derby. Background Foolish Pleasure was a bay horse bred at Williston, Florida by Waldemar Farms, Inc. He was owned by ...
. The colt was sent into training with the Aga Khan's veteran trainer
Frank Butters Frank Joseph Arthur Butters (1878–1957) was a racehorse trainer specialising in flat racing who trained in Austria, Italy and England in the first half of the 20th century. He trained for two of the most successful owner-breeders in British raci ...
at his stable in
Newmarket, Suffolk Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk (district), West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England, 14 miles west of Bury St Edmunds and 14 miles northeast of Cambridge. In 2021, it had a population of 16,772. It is a global ...
. Tehran's racing career took place during World War II during which horse racing in Britain was subject to many restrictions. Several major racecourses, including
Epsom Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...
and
Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
, were closed for the duration of the conflict, either for safety reasons, or because they were being used by the military. Many important races were rescheduled to new dates and venues, often at short notice, and all five of the
Classics Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...
were usually run at Newmarket. Wartime austerity also meant that prize money was reduced: Tehran's St Leger was worth £5,467 compared to the £10,465 earned by
Scottish Union Scottish Union (1935–1954) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes in 1938. He was one of the highest-rated British two-year-olds in 1937, when his wins included the Middle Park Stake ...
in 1939.


Racing career


1942: two-year-old season

As a two-year-old in 1943 Tehran was slow to mature and failed to win or place in two races. On his second appearance he finished fifth behind Ocean Swell in the Alington Maiden Plate at
Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of ...
on 20 October.


1944: three-year-old season

Tehran recorded his first success in the Chelford Stakes over one mile at Newmarket in the spring of 1944. On 17 May the colt was moved up in class to contest the
2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1.6 km) and scheduled to take place each yea ...
, run that year on the July course. Racing in heavy rain, Tehran led until the last quarter mile before being overtaken and finishing third of the twenty-six runners behind the filly Garden Path and Growing Confidence. In his subsequent races he ran in the colours of the Aga Khan. In the Derby, run on the July course on 17 June, Tehran started at odds of 8/1 in a twenty-runner field and was ridden by Eph Smith. The race was run at a slow pace before the field quickened five furlong from the finish. After what was described as a "great fight" he was beaten a neck by the 28/1 outsider
Ocean Swell A swell, also sometimes referred to as ground swell, in the context of an ocean The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also ref ...
. On his next appearance, Tehran won the Whepstead Stakes at Newmarket in August.
Doncaster Racecourse Doncaster Racecourse (also known as the Town Moor course) is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's List of British flat horse races#Group 1, 36 annual Group One, Group 1 flat races, the St Leger ...
, the traditional home of the St Leger was unavailable for racing in 1944 and substitute "New St Leger" was run at Newmarket in September. Ridden by Gordon Richards, Tehran started at odds of 9/2 in a field of seventeen runners which also included Ocean Swell and the filly Hycilla, the winner of the
Oaks Stakes The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 y ...
, who started favourite. He won by one and a half lengths from
Lord Derby Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (29 March 1799 – 23 October 1869), known as Lord Stanley from 1834 to 1851, was a British statesman and Conservative politician who served three times as Prime Minister of the United K ...
's colt Borealis with Ocean Swell third. After the race Richards commented "I made the first forward move and was followed by
Harry Wragg Harry Wragg (10 June 1902 – 20 October 1985) was a British jockey and racehorse trainer, who gained the nickname "The Head Waiter" due to his "come from behind" riding style. In a 27-year riding career, Wragg rode over 1700 winners in Britain ...
on Borealis. Harry must have got almost to Tehran's head but there was no laziness about Tehran and he went on again. Eph Smith joined in on Ocean Swell but they could make no impression on me as I pushed a good horse home. He got a pace just to his liking". Tehran's earnings of £6,202 meant that Butters won his sixth trainers' championship whilst the Aga Khan was
British flat racing Champion Owner The Champion Owner of flat racing in Great Britain is the owner whose horses have won the most prize money during a season. The list below shows the Champion Owner for each year since 1894. Prior to 2015 the period for deciding the championship sta ...
for the eighth time.


1945: four-year-old season

Tehran remained in training as a four-year-old with the
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 ...
as his principal objective. He won three minor races as Newmarket in the spring of 1945 but was withdrawn from the substitute
Coronation Cup The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards ...
as Butters did not wish to risk the horse on the prevailing hard ground. On 7 July the Gold Cup was run at
Ascot Ascot, Ascott or Askot may refer to: Places Australia * Ascot, Queensland, suburb of Brisbane * Ascot, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a locality * Ascot Park, South Australia, suburb of Adelaide * Ascot (Ballarat), town near Ballarat in Victoria ...
for the first time since 1939 in front of an estimated 60,000 spectators. Tehran had been given what was described as "a real stayer's preparation", being tested in training gallops alongside the
Cesarewitch Cesarewitch may refer to: *Cesarewitch Handicap The Cesarewitch Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Newmarket over ...
winner Filator. He was, however, unsuited by the firm ground and finished second, one and a half lengths behind the winner Ocean Swell. In December 1945, Tehran was sold to a syndicate for £25,000 a share, giving him a theoretical value of £100,000 and breaking the record price for a racehorse set when
Nearco Nearco (January 24, 1935 – June 27, 1957) was an Italian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by '' Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He ...
was syndicated for £62,000.


Assessment

In their book ''A Century of Champions'', based on a modified version of the
Timeform Timeform is a sports data and content provider located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1948, it provides systematic information on form to punters and others involved in the horse racing industry. The company was purchased by th ...
system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Tehran a "superior" winner of the St Leger and the best British-trained horse of his generation.


Breeding record

Tehran was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion. He was not a consistent producer of top-class winners but did produce some very good horses. The best of his progeny was
Tulyar Tulyar (1949–1972) was an Ireland, Irish bred, British-trained Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. He won Epsom Derby, The Derby, the St Leger Stakes, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Orm ...
, who won the Derby,
Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown ...
,
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot ...
and St Leger enabling Tehran to win the title of
Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland The title of champion, or leading, sire of Horse racing, racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland is awarded to the stallion whose offspring have won the most prize money in Britain and Ireland during the flat racing season. The current (2023) cham ...
in 1952. His other winners included Amante (
Irish Oaks The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it ...
), Mystery (Eclipse Stakes), Raise You Ten (
Goodwood Cup The Goodwood Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 2 miles (3 ...
,
Doncaster Cup The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 2 miles 1 furlong and 197 yards (3,600 m ...
) and Tabriz (
Royal Lodge Stakes The Royal Lodge Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), ...
, sire of
Taboun Taboun (22 February 1956 – 1962) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for winning the classic 2000 Guineas in 1959. As a two-year-old in 1958, Taboun won the Prix Robert Papin and finished second in the Coventry Stakes a ...
). Tehran died in 1966 at the age of twenty-five.


Pedigree


References

{{St Leger Winners 1941 racehorse births 1966 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 14-b St Leger winners