Although never a Champion Sire,
Owen Tudor was the sire of Champions.
“A short-coupled colt of rare quality,” he was bred by Mrs Catherine (later Lady) MacDonald-Buchanan, the daughter of Lord Woolavington.
A brown colt of 16.1 hands by Hyperion out of the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches winner, Mary Tudor II, he was sent to Fred Darling at Beckhampton in Wiltshire, for training.
Ridden by Gordon Richards on his debut, he won the 10-runner, five furlong, Salisbury Stakes by four lengths from Excursionist. Much was expected from him when odds-on in the Criterion Stakes. However, he surprisingly failed to stay the extra furlong and finished fifth to Starwort. Returning to Newmarket for the six-furlong Boscawen Stakes, he challenged close home to be beaten a head by City of Flint.
The following year, he won the one-mile Column Stakes by three lengths, before disappointing in the Two Thousand Guineas when favourite and only fifth to Lambert Simnel.
His pre-Derby race was the Salisbury Trial Stakes, and starting at 4-7 he was beaten two lengths by Fairy Prince. Owen Tudor’s Derby chance now seemed remote and with Gordon Richards recovering from a broken leg, the ride was given to Billy Nevett, the top northern jockey, who at the time was serving as a private in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
When Derby Day arrived the first three in the Two Thousand Guineas, Lambert Simnel, Morogoro and Sun Castle, occupied the same positions in the Derby betting at 4-1, 11-2 and 6-1 respectively. Although looking impressive in the paddock, at 25-1 Owen Tudor was the least fancied of Fred Darling’s five runners, having been beaten when odds-on in the Salisbury Trial Stakes.
On a warm day at Newmarket, 20 runners went to post on good ground. Selim Hassan set the pace to Plantation Corner, but soon after, gave way to Starwort and Annatom. Into the dip, Starwort led Morogoro with Firoze Din and Owen Tudor on either side.
At the foot of the hill, Morogoro (blinkers), looked the winner, but meeting the rising ground, Owen Tudor (hidden) stormed past him to win by one and a half lengths, with Firoze Din a further two lengths away third.
Owen Tudor seen shortly after the Derby.
Owen Tudor ran a further three times that year, finishing fourth to Sun Castle in the St Simon Stakes, ninth to Sun Castle in the St Leger and finally winning the Newmarket St Leger from Chateau Larose. As a four-year-old, Owen Tudor won two of his three starts, opening with an eight lengths victory in the mile-and-a-half Salisbury Trial Plate. Seven weeks later, over the same course and two extra furlongs, he faded badly, finishing sixth of seven to Mazarin. However, in his final race, the Ascot Gold Cup, all was forgiven, Owen Tudor winning in fine style with Mazarin only fourth. This was the first time a Derby winner had won the Gold Cup since Gainsborough, Owen Tudor’s grandsire, in 1918. On both occasions the double was achieved at Newmarket.
Owen Tudor retired to his owner-breeder’s New England Stud at Newmarket, at a fee of 250 guineas. Although never Champion Sire he got a number of top-quality colts, including the sensational TUDOR MINSTREL br.c. 1944 ex SANSONNETT by SANSOVINO, won Two Thousand Guineas Stakes, St James’s Palace Stakes; ABERNANT gr.c. 1946 ex RUSTOM MAHAL by RUSTOM PASHA, won Middle Park Stakes, King’s Stand Stakes, July Cup (twice), King George Stakes (twice), Nunthorpe Stakes (twice). Second in Two Thousand Guineas Stakes; RIGHT ROYAL br.c. 1958 ex BASTIA by TORNADO or VICTRIX, won Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Prix Lupin, Prix du Jockey-Club, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Aged 28 years, Owen Tudor was put down in March 1966.
OWEN TUDOR, won 6 races: Salisbury Stakes, Column Stakes, Newmarket, New Derby Stakes, Newmarket St Leger,Trial Plate, Salisbury, Newmarket Gold Cup (Ascot Gold Cup substitute).
His sire, HYPERION, won 8½ races: New Stakes, Prince of Wales’s Stakes (d-ht), Goodwood, Dewhurst Stakes, Chester Vase, Derby Stakes, Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Ascot, St Leger Stakes, March Stakes, Burwell Stakes. Champion Sire 1940, 1941, 1942, 1945, 1946, 1954. Sire of 7 Classic winners incl. SUN CHARIOT br.f. 1939 ex CLARENCE by DILIGENCE, won New One Thousand Guineas Stakes, New Oaks Stakes, New St Leger Stakes and bred 7 winners of 18 races; SUN STREAM ch.f. 1942 ex DRIFT by SWYNFORD, won One Thousand Guineas Stakes, Oaks Stakes and bred 4 winners of 8 races; AUREOLE ch.c. 1950 ex ANGELOLA by DONATELLO, won King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, second in Derby Stakes and Champion Sire 1960 & 1961.
His dam, MARY TUDOR II, won. 6 races incl. Poule d’Essai des Pouliches. From 7 foals in G.B. she bred 6 winners incl. TUDOR MAID, won 4 races and bred ROYAL FOREST b.c. 1946 by BOIS ROUSSEL, won Coventry Stakes, Dewhurst Stakes and Champion Sire in Brazil; EDWARD TUDOR ch.c. 1943 by HYPERION, won 5 races incl. Chester Vase. MARY TUDOR II died in 1954.
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