Nashwan

Nashwan (1 March 1986 – 19 July 2002) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. After winning both his starts as a two-year-old, he developed into an outstanding performer in the spring and summer of 1989, completing a unique four-timer when winning the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, Eclipse Stakes, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. After sustaining his only defeat in the Prix Niel in September, he was retired to stud where he was a successful sire of winners. Background Nashwan was a large, powerfully built chestnut horse with a white star and a white sock on his right foreleg bred by his owner Hamdan Al Maktoum at his Shadwell Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. He was sired by the 1977 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Blushing Groom. Blushing Groom became an exceptionally successful breeding stallion, siring Rainbow Quest, Blushing John, Arazi, and many other leading horses. Nashwan's successes made him the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland in 1989. Nashwan's dam was Height of Fashion, a daughter of Bustino previously owned by Queen Elizabeth II. He was thus a half-brother to the Group Race winners Alwasmi, Unfuwain, and Nayef, and a close relative of the Japanese champion Deep Impact and the 1000 Guineas winner Ghanaati. Nashwan was trained throughout his racing career by Major Dick Hern at West Ilsley in Berkshire, England, and was ridden in all of his races by Willie Carson. His name was reported to be an Arabic word meaning "joy". 1988: two-year-old season Nashwan made his debut in the Yattendon Maiden Stakes at Newbury in August 1988. He started 6/4 favourite in a field of 27 runners and won by three quarters of a length from Young Turpin, with the unplaced runners including the subsequent Derby Italiano winner Prorutori. On 8 October, Nashwan was moved up in class to contest the Listed Autumn Stakes over one mile at Ascot. Starting the odds-on favourite, he took the lead inside the final quarter mile and drew away to win by four lengths from Optimist, with Cacoethes in third.