Ulbrich's Peerage of Racehorses

Simply put, "Peerage" is an unendorsed record of the birth, life and death of a racehorse. It does not promote any theory, yet can be read as to promote every theory. That is up to the individual. But it should not be viewed so slanted. Investing some 20 plus years in to collating "Peerage" has led me to only one conclusion. If one is lucky one will breed, own, and race an outstanding racehorse; if not then spending a fortune, getting that which is considered the most expert advice, will lead to naught.

Look at the great racehorses of the 20th century. The outstanding racehorse, Sea Bird, was the first and only foal of his dam. Within 18 months of his birth, so little was thought of him, that his dam, Sicalade, was sold to a butcher at St Anderlys, for, I believe, 100 francs, and she wound-up on the table. Who could have foreseen that Sea Bird would do such deeds that he was/is regarded as the horse of the 20th century.

Of Nearco; his intended sire was Fairway. But Fairway's book was full, and Tesio not wanting to go over the head of the stud manager - as he so easily could have done, for he was both known and respected by the Earl of Derby - chose instead to take his mare to France where he had her covered by Fairway's full-brother Pharos. In terms of temperament and racing ability, a distance separated the pair. Fairway had the ability to beat anything around in and on his day, but being highly strung, it was a case of "on his day." Pharos was somewhat bovine. Who knows what would have come of a cover by Fairway but we do know that which came from the cover of the mare by Pharos - Nearco.

And, of course, there was the dual classic winning Signorinetta bred on "the boundless laws of sympathy and love." Who even recalls the name Chaleureux - "A badly bred horse and breeders looked askance at him" - but it was he whose a name will ever be associated with the Epsom Derby through his winning daughter, Signorinetta, a mare as chance-bred as any horse ever is likely to be. Signorina, Signorinetta's dam was being walked through the streets of Newmarket, when she became the willing object of Chaleureux' desire... ergo, Signorinetta!

Do not judge "Peerage" for that which it isn't but for that which it is, an unendorsed record of the birth, life, and career of a racehorse.

Richard Ulbrich

Bay. A fourth foal. A winner of 5 of 10 career starts, two and three years, his racing, because of WWII, all at Newmarket.

http://exhorse.co.kr/horse/blood/bloodtable.html?maid=214065

Raced 4 times at two years, winner of the Coventry Stakes (7 runners - btg Straight Deal and Victory Torch, 1½L, 1L) and the Great Bradley Stakes (2 runners - btg Feriel, rec 11 lbs, 4L), and runner-up in the Wilburton Stakes (8 runners - btn 1½L, 1L, by the topweighted filly Nearly, gave 9 lbs, and Harroway, level wts - maiden start - the correspondent for the "Bloodstock Breeders' Review, 1942", commented: "Nasrullah looked as if he could have carried the little filly - Nearly - on his back") and the Middle Park Stakes (8 runners - btn nk by Ribbon, with Nearly, three parts length third, and with Straight Deal and Harroway amg btn; again there was a delayed start, but on this occasion caused not by Nasrullah but by Straight Deal, who threw his ride and careered off into a nearby field - the race was delayed 10 minutes);

at three years, winner of the Chatteris Stakes (5 runners - topwt - btg Response and Herald, each rec 10 lbs, and Lady Sybil, rec 3 lbs, ½L, 6L, 4L - first-up start for the year - Nasrullah showed obvious signs of temperament when fetched to leave the paddock for the racecourse, and he was some minutes before he could be induced to walk out onto the racecourse, whereon he walked the course delaying the start of the race by some 8 minutes), the Cavenham Stakes (3 runners - topwt - btg Triumvir, rec 4 lbs, and Veracity, rec 7 lbs, 2L, 5L) and the Champion Stakes (6 runners - btg 3YOs Kingsway, Ummidad and Pink Flower, each level wts, 1L, 3L, 1½L, with 4YO Lady Electra, gave 5 lbs, ½L fifth - one commentator wrote: "He completely outclassed the field for individuality not excepting the fine-looking Kingsway"), and minor placegetter in the New Derby Stakes (23 runners - btn hd, ½L, by Straight Deal and Ummidad, with Persian Gulf and Kingsway, nk, ½L, fourth and fifth), being unplaced in the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes (fourth of 19 runners - btn sht hd, hd, ½L, by Kingsway, Pink Flower and Way In, with High Chancellor and Straight Deal, ½L, 4L, fifth and sixth - a hard favourite at 13/8, with 8/1 next on offer - from the "Bloodstock Breeders' Review, 1943": "he would probably have won had he not thrown in the towel" - in fact, he did seem to lose heart or interest in the race, for from a prominent position, he suddenly gave way, only to be persuaded to run on again by his rider, the incomparable Gordon (later Sir Gordon) Richards, that it was only the winning post coming too soon that denied him Classic success - and the New St Leger Stakes (6th of 12 runners - btn sht hd, three parts length, 1L, three parts length, nk, by fillies Herringbone and Ribbon, each rec 3 lbs, colts Straight Deal and Persian Gulf, level wts, and filly Tropical Sun, rec 3 lbs, with Ummidad and Kingsway, seventh and eighth - favoured in the betting, a hard 13/8F, with the next line of betting 8/1!).

He was the Leading Sire in England in 1951.

Purchased to the America in 1951, for $370,000 (variously $390,000), he rose to the position of Leading Sire in America five times, in 1955, 1956, 1959, 1960 and 1962.

He was the second, of only three stallions, to head the list of Leading Sires in both England and America - Priam (1825) the first and Northern Dancer (1961) the third

Sired 420 foals, 98 stakes winners.

As a last bequest to his breed, Nasrullah covered La Mirambule. The day following the service, he died. The resulting foal was Nasram II (which see).

Faultless in conformation, he was an individual with a mind of his own, at times wilful and obstreprous (one commentator did not mince words: "notoriously temperamental and cantankerous"), and maybe, at times, with his heart not in the right place; another commentator: "His quarters are immensely powerful and any good judge of a horse would put this fine-looking colt as near perfect as possible if considering him apart from racecourse performance ."

John Aiscan writing in 1975, described him: "Nasrullah had the strongest bone, was perfectly legged, although he was not so strong through the coupling."

Fabled to "nick" with Princequillo mares (the "nick" generally considered to be between a son of Nasullah and a daughter of Princequillo), Nasrullah did himself cover a daughter of Princequillo - which raced... unplaced!

Sired 420 foals, 99 stakes winners.

AEI: 5.16.