Nureyev | |
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Sire | Northern Dancer |
Grandsire | Nearctic |
Dam | Special |
Damsire | Forli |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | 1977 |
Country | United States |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | Claiborne Farm |
Owner | Stavros Niarchos |
Trainer | Francois Boutin |
Record | 3: 2-0-0 |
Earnings | $42,018 |
Major wins | |
Prix Thomas Bryon (1979) Prix Djebel (1980) |
|
Awards | |
Timeform rating 131 (1980) Leading sire in France (1987) Leading broodmare sire in Britain & Ireland (1997) |
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Last updated on May 30, 2011 |
Nureyev (1977–2001) was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and champion sire. As a racehorse, he was best known as the disqualified "winner" of the 2000 Guineas in 1980.
Nureyev was a bay horse with a white blaze and white sock on his right hind leg bred in Kentucky by the Claiborne Farm. He was sired by Northern Dancer out of the mare Special, making him a half brother of to several winners including Fairy Bridge, the dam of Sadler's Wells. He was bought in 1978 at the Keeneland yearling sale by Stavros Niarchos for US$1.3 million, at the time the second-highest paid price ever paid for a yearling—behind only Canadian Bound. Niarchos named the colt in honor of the famous ballet dancer, Rudolf Nureyev. Niarchos sent the colt to race in Europe where he was trained by Francois Boutin.
In November 1979, Nureyev made his two-year-old racing debut in France. He easily outdistanced the field in the Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud Racecourse, winning by six lengths.
The following spring of 1980, he won the Prix Djebel at Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse in his 3-year-old debut. He was then shipped to Newmarket Racecourse in the United Kingdom for the 2000 Guineas. His rider, Philippe Paquet, restrained Nureyev in the early stages before pushing his way through the field (interfering with several other runners) to make his challenge in the final quarter mile. He got the better of a brief struggle with Known Fact to win by a neck with Posse, the main sufferer in the earlier interference, finishing strongly to take third. After a lengthy inquiry, the result overturned by the racing stewards, who awarded the race to Known Fact and relegated Nureyev to last place. It was the first time that a winner of the 2,000 Guineas Classic had been disqualified. Nureyev was scheduled to compete in June's Epsom Derby, but came down with a virus and never raced again.