Royal Anthem (horse)

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Royal Anthem


caption =
sire = Theatrical
grandsire = Nureyev
dam = In Neon
damsire = Ack Ack
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1995
country = United States flagicon|USA
colour = Bay
breeder = John A. Franks
owner = The Thoroughbred Corp.
trainer = Henry Cecil
William I. Mott (from November, 1999)
record = 12: 6-3-1
earnings = $1,876,876
race = Fairway Stakes (1998)
King Edward VII Stakes (1998)
Canadian International Stakes (1998)
International Stakes (1999)
Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Handicap (2000)
awards =
honours =
updated= December 7, 2006

Royal Anthem (born 1995) is a Thoroughbred racehorse bred in the United States. A son of Theatrical, Royal Anthem's grandsire was Nureyev and his damsire was U.S. Hall of Famer Ack Ack.

Purchased by The Thoroughbred Corp., he first raced from a base in England. Trained by Henry Cecil and ridden by jockey Kieren Fallon, Royal Anthem began racing at age three. He won the first two races he entered and went on to capture the 1998 King Edward VII Stakes at Ascot Racecourse. After finishing third behind winner Swain in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, the highlight of Royal Anthem's year was a victory at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. Ridden by American jockey Gary Stevens, the colt beat defending champion and future Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Chief Bearhart in the Canadian International Stakes after which he was sent to Churchill Downs in Kentucky to compete in the 1998 Breeders' Cup Turf. The betting favorite with U.K. bookmakers, six days before the race his trainer revealed that Royal Anthem was "hopping lame." Over the next few days the horse appeared to get better but in the end apparently was not and finished 7th in the race.

At age four in 1999, Royal Anthem finished second in the June 4th Coronation Cup to Daylami, a five-year-old who would be his nemesis for the rest of the year. He finished second again in the Hardwicke Stakes after which his handlers brought American jockey Gary Stevens to ride him in the Juddmonte International Stakes. Following an impressive eight-length win, Royal Anthem was being hailed by some in the United Kingdom as 'the best in the world'. [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60175075.html] However, in his next outing, he finished fifth to winner Daylami in the Irish Champion Stakes and second to Daylami again in the 1999 Breeders' Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park in Florida.

After the Breeders' Cup race, his disappointed owner sent Royal Anthem to the Payson Park thoroughbred training facility near Indiantown, Florida where his conditioning was taken over by U.S. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott who had trained Royal Anthem's sire, Theatrical. In February 2000, the horse made his first start for Bill Mott with a win in the Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Handicap under jockey Jerry Bailey. He was scheduled to compete in the March 25th Dubai Sheema Classic at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse but a swollen tendon in his left foreleg prevented him from competing and would end his racing career.

Royal Anthem was retired to stand at stud at Hopewell Farm in Midway, Kentucky. He now stands at stud at Tullogher House Stud in Kilkenny, Ireland.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/royal+anthem3 Royal Anthem's pedigree and racing stats]
* [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60175075.html The Racing Post (London, England), August 18, 1999]