Alycidon

Alycidon (1945–1963) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who was described as "one of the greatest stayers in history". In a career which lasted from the autumn of 1947 until September 1949 he ran seventeen times and won eleven races. He was the second best British three-year-old of his generation, when he finished second to Black Tarquin in the St Leger Stakes. He was undefeated in his remaining seven races, defeating Black Tarquin in the 1949 Ascot Gold Cup and going on to win the Stayers' Triple Crown. After his retirement from racing he became the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland in 1955, despite having low fertility and a relatively short career at stud. Background Alycidon was a chestnut horse bred by his owner the 17th Earl of Derby. He was sired by the outstanding racehorse and useful sire, Donatello II out of the 1,000 Guineas runner-up Aurora, a daughter of Hyperion. In addition to Alycidon, Aurora also produced Acropolis who ran third in The Derby, Agricola (Newmarket Stakes, leading sire in New Zealand), Borealis (sire of stakes winners) and others. Her other descendants include the Epsom Derby winner Larkspur and the Belmont Stakes winner Celtic Ash. Alycidon was inbred in the third and fourth generations (3x4) to Swynford. The colt was sent into training with Walter Earl at Lord Derby's private Stanley House stable. Earl's stable jockey was Doug Smith, but Smith suffered from ill health and was not always available to ride Alycidon. Earl was also in failing health and died in 1950. Racing record