Arbar (horse)

Arbar was a bay horse with an "Arab-like" head{{cite encyclopedia | last1 = Mortimer|first1=Roger |last2=Onslow|first2=Richard|last3=Willett|first3=Peter| title=Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing|publisher=Macdonald and Jane's| year=1978|isbn=0-354-08536-0}} white star,{{cite web |author=Hugh McMahon |url=http://www.sporthorse-data.com/d?showpic=720069&time=1312708700 |title=Arbar images |publisher=Sporthorse-data.com |accessdate=2013-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083218/http://www.sporthorse-data.com/d?showpic=720069&time=1312708700 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }} bred by his owner Marcel Boussac at his Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard in Neuvy-au-Houlme in Lower Normandy.{{cite web|author=Anne Peters |url=http://www.tbheritage.com/Breeders/FR/Boussac/Boussac.html |title=Marcel Boussac |publisher=Tbheritage.com |date= |accessdate=2013-01-19}}

Arbar's dam was the highly successful broodmare Astronomie, whose other progeny included Marsyas, the undefeated Caracalla, and The Oaks winner Asmena.{{cite web|url=http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Families/Family9e.htm |title=Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Maid Of Masham – Family 9-e |publisher=Bloodlines.net |date= |accessdate=2013-01-19}} Arbar's sire Djebel, also bred and raced by Boussac, won the 2000 Guineas in 1941 and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe two years later. He went on to become Leading sire in France on four occasions,{{cite web|url=http://www.tbheritage.com/HistoricSires/LeadingSires/FrenchLeadSires.html |title=Leading Sires of France |publisher=Tbheritage.com |date= |accessdate=2013-01-19}} and sired many important winners including My Babu, Galcador and Coronation. Djebel's success as a breeding stallion was largely responsible for the survival of the Byerley Turk sire line. Because of the presence of certain American bloodlines in the pedigree of his sire Tourbillon, Djebel was considered "half-bred" (non-Thoroughbred) by the General Stud Book until 1949.{{cite web|author=Anne Peters |url=http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Tourbillon.html |title=Tourbillon |publisher=Tbheritage.com |date=1954-07-26 |accessdate=2013-01-19}}

Arbar raced in the Boussac colours of "orange jacket, grey cap" and was trained at Chantilly by the former jockey Charles Semblat.

Arbar was unraced as a two-year-old and began his racing career in 1947.{{cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39088051 |title=TURF Racing of Two-Year-Olds |work=Western Mail|location=Perth|date=15 Jul 1948 |accessdate=2013-01-20}} He won three races in succession in France and in September he was sent to England to contest the St Leger over one and three quarter miles at Doncaster Racecourse. In a field of eleven runners he was ridden by Charlie Elliott and started at odds of 5/1.{{cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18048107 |title=ST. LEGER WIN FOR SAYAJIRAO |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=15 Sep 1947 |accessdate=2013-01-20}} He finished second, a head behind Sayajirao and three lengths clear of the future Arc de Triomphe winner Migoli. A month later he returned to Britain and won the King George VI Stakes over two miles at Ascot Racecourse, beating only three opponents for one of the most valuable races of the British season.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ky0sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SNwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5210,2833891&dq=arbar+king+george&hl=en |title=Favorite triumohs |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=11 October 1947 |accessdate=2013-01-20}}

In May 1948, Arbar won the Prix Jean Prat over 3,000 metres at Longchamp Racecourse. Later that month defeated the Belgian champion Bayeux in the 4,000 metre Prix du Cadran at the same venue. In winning the race, which is regarded as the French counterpart of the Ascot Gold Cup, he went some way to emulating the achievements of his half-brother Marsyas, who won the race on four occasions.{{cite web |url=http://www.france-galop.com/All-the-races.233+M52087573ab0.0.html?&course_id=9113&no_cache=1&numero_id=16 |title=Prix du Cadran history |publisher=France-galop.com |accessdate=2013-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330021447/http://www.france-galop.com/All-the-races.233+M52087573ab0.0.html?&course_id=9113&no_cache=1&numero_id=16 |archive-date=2012-03-30 |url-status=dead }}

On 17 June Arbar was made the 4/6 favourite for the two and a half mile Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, a race which had been won by his older half-brother Caracalla in 1946. Ridden by Elliott he produced a "spectacular late sweep"{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XcA-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZUwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4060,7524206&dq=arbar+ascot&hl=en |author=Vernon Morgan |title=Ascot Gold Cup for France |work=Indian Express |date=19 June 1948 |accessdate=2013-01-20}} to take the lead in the straight and pulled clear to win easily by four lengths from Bayeux and Roi de Navarre. His victory earned £11,375 for Marcel Boussac and highlighted the superiority of late-maturing French stayers over their British rivals. Following the race, Arbar was hailed as "the best stayer in Europe... if not the world".{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=odI-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=k0wMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1179,2469397&dq=arbar+ascot&hl=en |title=Arbar fancied for Goodwood Cup |work=Indian Express |date=26 July 1948 |accessdate=2013-01-20}} At Goodwood Racecourse on 29 July he started 1/3 favourite for the Goodwood Cup over two miles five furlongs in which he was matched against Federico Tesio's Italian champion Tenerani. The race was run in unusually hot weather and Arbar looked uncomfortable in the paddock before the race. Five furlongs from the finish he sustained an injury ("broke down") and was beaten one and a half lengths by Tenerani, who appeared to have hampered the runner-up by swerving in the straight.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=r9I-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=k0wMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6994,3810429&dq=arbar+ascot&hl=en |title=World's best stayer to be retired to stud |work=Indian Express |date=9 August 1948 |accessdate=2013-01-20}} Arbar's injury proved so serious that he was retired from racing.

The independent Timeform organisation assigned a rating of 135 to both Arbar and Tenerani in 1948, making them the highest-rated horses of the season in Europe.{{cite book|last1=Morris|first1=Tony|last2=Randall|first2=John|title=Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions|edition=Third|publisher=Guinness Publishing |year=1990|isbn=0-85112-902-1}}

In their book A Century of Champions, based on a modified version of the Timeform system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Arbar the thirty-fifth best French-trained horse of the 20th century and the second-best horse foaled in 1944, ahead of Tenerani but behind Tudor Minstrel.{{cite book|last1=Morris| first1=Tony|last2=Randall|first2=John|title=A Century of Champions|publisher= Portway Press|year=1999|isbn=978-1-901570-15-1}}

Arbar was retired to stand as a breeding stallion at his owner's Normandy stud. He was not particularly successful, but was a better sire than either Marsyas or Caracalla. The best of his offspring was the Grand Critérium winner Abdos, Timeform's top-rated two-year-old colt of 1961. Another of his sons, Arcor, won the Prix du Conseil de Paris and finished second in The Derby.

{{tree list}}

• Arbar[http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Sirelines/BayMiddleton.htm Bay Middleton Sire Line]
• Abdos
• Abgal
• Adam Van Vianen
• Arcor

{{tree list/end}}

{{Pedigree

|name = Arbar (FR), bay stallion 1944{{cite web|url=http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=17086®istry=T&horse_name==Arbar%20(FR)&dam_name==Astronomie%20(FR)&foaling_year=1944&nicking_stats_indicator=Y |title=Arbar pedigree |website=Equineline|date=2012-05-08 |accessdate=2013-01-20}}

|f = Djebel

|m = Astronomie (FR)

|ff = Tourbillon (FR)

|fm = Loika (FR)

|mf = Asterus (FR)

|mm = Likka (FR)

|fff =Ksar

|ffm = Durban

|fmf = Gay Crusader

|fmm = Coeur a Coeur

|mff = Teddy*

|mfm = Astrella

|mmf = Sardanapale

|mmm = Diane Mallory

|ffff = Bruleur

|fffm = Kizil Kourgan

|ffmf = Durbar

|ffmm = Banshee

|fmff = Bayardo

|fmfm = Gay Laura

|fmmf = Teddy*

|fmmm = Ballantrae

|mfff = Ajax

|mffm = Rondeau

|mfmf = Verdun

|mfmm = Saint Astra

|mmff = Prestige

|mmfm = Gemma

|mmmf = Nimbus

|mmmm = Ferula (Family: 9-e)

|}}

* Arbar is inbred 4S x 3D to the stallion Teddy, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree and third generation on the dam side of his pedigree.

{{reflist}}

Category:1944 racehorse births

Category:Racehorses bred in France

Category:Racehorses trained in France

Category:Thoroughbred family 9-e

Category:Byerley Turk sire line