Pharos (4 April 1920 – 30 April 1937) was a

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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 ...

racehorse 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 a

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 ...

Pedigree

Bred and raced by

Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby, (4 April 1865 – 4 February 1948), styled Mr Edward Stanley until 1886, then The Hon Edward Stanley and then Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, d ...

, he was a brother to the stakeswinners, Fair Isle (1927) and Fairway (1925) who won 31 races and £71,635 between them. They were by the successful sire, Phalaris, their dam the staying mare, Scapa Flow by Chaucer. Pharos's maximum distance was approximately 1¼ miles and Fairway could stay much further and was altogether a better racehorse. Both Pharos and Fairway were outstanding successes at stud where they both sired classic winners of a high standard. However, Pharos has proved the more influential in the long run and now stands four-square on the pre-eminent sire line in world racing..

Racing record

Pharos won six of his nine starts at age two and three of his nine starts at age three when he also ran second to

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in the 1923

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 ...

. Racing at age four, Pharos won four of seven starts, notably beating

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...

winner Parth in the ten furlong

Champion Stakes The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlong ...

Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of ...

. Racing at age five, Pharos did not win in his first four starts but then in the last race of his career, won his second consecutive edition of the Duke of York Handicap by six lengths.

Stud record

Retired to

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duty having won fourteen of his thirty career starts, Pharos first stood at Woodland Stud in Newmarket for the 1926 season. In 1928 he was sent to stand at

Haras d'Ouilly The Haras d'Ouilly is a renowned horse breeding farm in Pont-d'Ouilly, Calvados in the Normandy region of France established in the 19th century. The property was purchased in 1895 by Auguste-Louis-Albéric, prince d'Arenberg for his son Pierre ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

where he remained until his death in 1937.. Pharos was the leading sire in Britain and Ireland in 1931 and the

leading sire in France The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in France for each year since 1887. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season. Due to the huge prize money of the Prix de l'Arc de Tri ...

in 1938. Pharos sired 11 high class stallions including Pharis, an undefeated galloper whose wins included the 1939

Prix du Jockey Club The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a ...

and the

Grand Prix de Paris The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it ...

and who was the leading sire in France in 1944. However, by far his most important son was the undefeated

Nearco Nearco (January 24, 1935 – June 27, 1957) was an Italian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by ''Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He ...

, described by ''Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century".. Pharos sired the winners of 181 races worth £152,157.

Pedigree

External links

Pharos at ''Thoroughbred Heritage''

Pharos' pedigree and partial racing stats

References

{{Reflist 1920 racehorse births 1937 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Champion Thoroughbred Sires of France British Champion Thoroughbred Sires Thoroughbred family 13-e Chefs-de-Race

Pedigree

Racing record

Stud record

Pedigree

See also

External links

References