Nasram (1960 – after 1970), also known as Nasram II, was an American-bred

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 c ...

race horse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

and

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" a ...

who was trained in the United States and France. His early career was undistinguished but in July 1964 he recorded an upset win over

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...

in the

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot o ...

. Nasram was retired from racing at the end of the season and stood as a breeding stallion in America and Germany.

Background

Nasram was a bay horse bred in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

by his owners Mr and Mrs Howell E. Jackson. He was sired by Nasrullah who was the

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 r ...

in 1951 and went on to become the

Leading sire in North America The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to stallions which are based in N ...

on five occasions. Nasram's dam, La Mirambule won the

Prix Vermeille The Prix Vermeille is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), an ...

in 1952 and was later bought by the Jackson's and exported to America.

Racing career

1962: two-year-old season

As a two-year-old, Nasram was trained in the United States, but failed to win.

1963: three-year-old season

Nasram was sent to Europe to be trained by Etienne Pollet at

Chantilly Chantilly may refer to: Places France *Chantilly, Oise, a city located in the Oise department **US Chantilly, a football club *Château de Chantilly, a historic château located in the town of Chantilly United States * Chantilly, Missou ...

. He won the

Prix du Lys The Prix du Lys is a Conditions races, Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred Colt (horse), colts and geldings. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse, Longch ...

but appeared to be just below top class.

1964: four-year-old season

As a four-year-old, Nasram was moved to the stable of the Australian-born Ernie Fellows. In July he was sent to England to contest the

Ascot Racecourse Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...

. The

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...

winner Santa Claus started favourite at odds of 2/13, with only Nasram and two others opposing him. Ridden by Bill Pyers Nasram appeared well-suited by the hard ground and led from the start. He was never seriously challenged and recorded one of the biggest upsets in British racing history in winning by two lengths from Santa Claus, with Royal Avenue a further four lengths away in third. The King George was Nasram's only win in eight starts in 1964. In October he was unplaced behind Prince Royal and Santa Claus.

Assessment

Nasram was awarded a rating of 125 by

Timeform Timeform is a sports data and content provider located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1948, it provides systematic information on form to punters and others involved in the horse racing industry. The company was purchased by ...

in 1964. In their book ''A Century of Champions'', John Randall and Tony Morris rated Nasram the worst horse ever to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, describing him as a "faint-hearted front-runner who capitulated when challenged".

Stud record

Nasram had some success as a stallion. He sired the 1970

Everglades Stakes The Everglades Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Hialeah Park in Hialeah, Florida. For three-year-old horses, the mile race was run on dirt until 1994 when it was converted to a race on turf. It was elevated to Grade ...

winner Naskra, who went on to be a successful stallion. He was also the sire of the German champion Athenagoras who won the

Deutsches Derby The Deutsches Derby is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Hamburg-Horn over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is scheduled to tak ...

, Aral-Pokal and

Grosser Preis von Baden The Grosser Preis von Baden is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Baden-Baden over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is schedul ...

Pedigree

References

{{King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Winners 1960 racehorse births Racehorses trained in France Racehorses bred in Kentucky Thoroughbred family 11-d King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winners