Floribunda (horse)

Floribunda
Sire	Princely Gift
Grandsire	Nasrullah
Dam	Astrentia
Damsire	Denturius
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1958
Country	United Kingdom
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Meg Mullion
Owner	Meg Mullion
Trainer	Paddy Prendergast
Record	8:5-1-1
Major wins
New Stakes (1960) King George Stakes (1961) Nunthorpe Stakes (1961)
Awards
Timeform top-rated two-year-old (1961) Timeform rating 136 (1962)

Floribunda (1958–1979) was a British-bred Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A specialist sprinter, he won his first three races (including the New Stakes by wide margins before his two-year-old season was curtailed by injury. In 1961 he was beaten in his first two races before returning to his best to win the King George Stakes and Nunthorpe Stakes. He was retired to stud at the end of the season and had mixed success as a sire of winners.

Floribunda was a dark-coated bay horse with no white markings, bred in Britain by his owner Meg Mullion. Mullion, who owned the Ardenode Stud in partnership with her husband Jim, sent the colt to Ireland to be trained at the Curragh, County Kildare, by Paddy Prendergast, a trainer noted for his handling of precocious two-year-olds. His sire Princely Gift was a leading sprinter who broke the track record at Doncaster Racecourse when carrying 130 pounds in the 1955 Portland Handicap. Floribunda's dam Astrentia also produced his full sister Kew, the great-grand-dam of the Prix de Diane winner Sil Sila.

Floribunda began his racing career in Ireland in spring, winning a maiden race at the Curragh Racecourse by twelve lengths. On his next appearance he set a new track record when winning over five furlongs at Phoenix Park. Predergast sent the colt to England in June for the New Stakes, one of the most important two-year-old races at Royal Ascot. Ridden by the Australian jockey Ron Hutchinson he started the 2/7 favourite and won by eight lengths. His "runaway" win led to him being described as the best two-year-old of the season up to that point.

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