Court Martial (foaled 1942 in England – died in 1974) was a

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse bred and raced by Lord Astor best known for defeating two exceptional colts in

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian people, Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', origin ...

and Royal Charger for the

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...

2000 Guineas Stakes The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year ...

and as a two-time

leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland The title of champion, or leading, sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland is awarded to the stallion whose offspring have won the most prize money in Britain and Ireland during the flat racing season. The current champion is Frankel, who ...

. He was a chestnut horse sired by the leading sire Fair Trial, that also sired Petition (won the Eclipse Stakes). Court Martial's dam Instantaneous by

Hurry On Hurry On (7 May 1913 – 1936) was an undefeated British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire that revived the Matchem sire line.Leicester, Sir Charles, "Bloodstock Breeding", J.A. Allen & Co, London, 1969 English trainer Fred Darling called Hurry ...

was the dam of several other named foals, but none was a stakes winner. She was a great granddaughter of Astor's foundation mare Conjure. John Hislop describes Court Martial as "A beautiful horse of superb quality, truly made, sound and possessed of excellent limbs, but with shelly feet a trait which he has handed on ... Though having a measure of stamina, speed was Court Martial's forte, which is reflected in his stock. An outstanding and wonderfully consistent stallion . . . his mares have done comparably well at stud. Most of his stock likes soft ground."Hislop, John, ''Breeding for Racing'', Martin Secker & Warburg, London, 1976, .

Racing record

Court Martial was undefeated in his two starts as a two-year-old. At three, he won the 2000 Guineas Stakes and the Champion Stakes and was third in The Derby, where he finished two lengths and a head away third to Dante and Midas in a field of 27 runners in the time of 2 min 26.6 sec.

Stud record

Court Martial was a prolific sire of winners, being the leading sire twice and was a six-time leading sire of two-year-olds.Wicks, B.M., "The Australian Racehorse", Libra Books, Canberra, 1973 . Notable progeny include: * Above Suspicion (IRE), won St. James's Palace Stakes * Affreux (FR), won GB Dickens Plate and Bestwood Park Plate, sire of winners of over $1,200,000 in Australia * Court Sentence, won St James's Palace Stakes; sire in Australia * Grass Court (

Cork and Orrery Stakes The Platinum Jubilee Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. Three-year-olds foaled in the Southern Hemisphere are also eligible. It is run at ...

) * High Treason (IRE) – won

Nunthorpe Stakes The Nunthorpe Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged two years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is sched ...

* King's Bench (

Middle Park Stakes The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is ...

Coventry Stakes The Coventry Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place e ...

etc. * Major Portion (IRE) won

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is s ...

Sussex Stakes The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and ...

etc. * Marsolve won July Cup * Pheidippides won

Gimcrack Stakes The Gimcrack Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to ...

* Ratification won Coventry Stakes * Rosalba won

Coronation Stakes The Coronation Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlong and 213 yards (1,603 metres), and it is schedul ...

and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes * Timandra (FR) won French One Thousand Guineas * Wilkes (FR) won Prix Sans Souci and Prix Edgard de la Charm; leading sire in Australia. About 25 of Court Martial's sons have been imported to Australia and New Zealand since 1954 and have sired the collective winners of almost $8 million in prize money. Court Martial died of infirmities of old age. He was 32.

References

* Page 56 in ''Designing Speed in the Racehorse'' by Ken McLean (2005) . {{DEFAULTSORT:Court Martial 1942 racehorse births 1974 racehorse deaths British Champion Thoroughbred Sires Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 1-p Chefs-de-Race 2000 Guineas winners